Can anyone positively identify this engine as being a 1971 W 30 pedigree?

 

No way to tell from what you've posted. What letter heads are on it? What's stamped on the engine pad?

 

Not on the information presented. Show a picture of the H head for starters.

 

H Heads, does that prove it is a W 30 block?

 

The H heads are 71 W-30. If you don't have the VIN matching car to the block it does not matter what the block came from. Will need a 1M in the VIN to be able to be from a W-30 but that still does not tell if it is from a W-30.

If the head dates and block dates are somewhat close and the 1M is in the VIN, it could be but again, No way to be sure without the matching car with a documented broadcast card.

 

where would head and block dates be found? According to casting number?

 

STICKY PLEASE for "where do I find casting cues to ID what I have"

I see a crank that looks toast.
The HUGE obvious letter on the outside of the head would help.

Block date is on aft end adjacent to dist'r hole:
5
123
for example might be like your engine. Allegedly decodes as 5th calendar year of that sort of engine [1967 - 1st year of 455 castings.... 5th year would be 1971. Early 1971 -model- year blocks may be cast in 1970, the 4th CALENDAR year of 455 production. "123" maybe from 1 to 366, the Julian Day of the year on which the block was made.

Block VIN stamp will be directly under the "H" on the LH head, at the front of the engine, in a vertical wall about 1/2 x 2" in size. For a '71 W30, it will be like
31M100123
3 = Olds
_1 = 1971
__M = Lansing built
___100123 a VIN final 6 that I contrived, obviously

Not Lansing built- might be a 442, but not a W30

Heads' date has no specific year digit, but a 1-3 digit Julian Day will be cast into the head- typically underside near the intake ports, like the main casting ID final 3 repeated. The Julian day is also typically topside, on your right as you view the engine from aside, near the valve cover gasket, very small digits. Near the #5 or #4 spark plug- 3rd one back on LH side of the engine, 2nd one back on the RH side.

 

No, it may seem like that, but that single digit is what Oldsmobile called a "mold number". A misnomer, as what it is really a "pattern number". Multiple patterns were used over the course of production and the number was used to be able to trace back (along with the date code) to a particular pattern.