ShedrickM

I have a 79 cutlass that i believe came with a 260 but had a engine swap. The guy who did the job said he was putting in a 350. Long story short he put old/used parts on a rebuilt engine so i lost all trust with him. Now when go to get my car serviced im being told that its a 4.3/260. I checked the cast# on the block and reads 395558 2. What do I have

oldzzy

That would be a 350

L69

def 350

joe_padavano

395558 is a 1968-1976 350 block. The reason why you are being told that it's a 260 is because the "mechanic" is simply reading the VIN (which indicates the factory-installed 260) and is not capable of reading or understanding the casting number on the block.

L69

I believe the 2 makes that a 68-70 block. More valuable then a later block for sure...

captjim

Not sure I agree with that.

Shedrick, on the drivers side front there will be a 2" or so single digit number stamped on the head, what is it?

joe_padavano

Actually, the number is cast into the head and is raised, not stamped. More to the point, the head ID number will only tell you the origin of the head, not the block or the motor. The VIN derivative on the block is stamped and will tell you exactly what model year the block is from. By the way, don't believe everything you read in the Olds FAQ, especially about casting numbers and years of use.

ShedrickM

http://www.cardomain.com/gallery/14637502/
here's a pic of the block

captjim

Joe, you know that I know that, but chances are the original heads would still be on it.

copper128

Looks like a '71 350 with #7 heads, based on your Cardomain pics.

joe_padavano

I know that Jim. I was using my response to your post to also address the O.P. From the pics that have been linked, it's hard to tell if the parts all came from one motor or not, unfortunately.

captjim

Fair enough. I was also under the impression it was a running engine but is obviously torn aparp.

ShedrickM

The engine is running. The pics are old
Youtube video/shay 79 cutlass

MDchanic

No question that's a 350.

The question is, why are you bringing the car to an idiot to be serviced, when you can do the job better, and cheaper, yourself?

- Eric

ShedrickM

Well the idoit sold me the 350 plus i dont have the time nor the tools to do it myself. I brought my car to him cause he was a friend of the family

MDchanic

So you're saying that a guy put a 350 in your car, told you it was a 350, then, when you went to him later for service, he told you it was a 260?

- Eric

ShedrickM

No. He put the engine in the car but because he put alot of used parts on the rebuilt engine i thought i was being fucked over. Pep boys service the car and said it was a 260

MDchanic

Did you pay a "new parts" price or a "used parts" price?

You are brave, indeed, to bring your antique car to Pep Boys.

- Eric

ShedrickM

Yeah and pep boys been alright to me plus do you know how hard it is to find a auto tech thats trustworthy where I live. The only other person i trust is serving time

Kennybill

I would like to hear the other side of this story.

Redog

It's funny, thought.

The VIN says the car is a 260, that's it! That doesn't make the guy an idiot. Your casting numbers say you have a 68-76 Olds 350 in there, your car is a 79. Most states say it's illegal replace the engine with an engine that is older than the car itself.

What "used" parts did the guy use? Manifold? Acc brackets? Valve covers? Dist? Alternator?

I'm curious

MDchanic

Subtle distinction: If the kid at the geegaw shop said, "Nope, that's a 260," he's an idiot.
If he said, "Your VIN says the car came with a 260," he's telling it like he sees it.
Unless he can visually tell the difference between a 350 and a 260, he is in no position to tell anyone what kind of engine they have, but if he's an idiot, then he is unaware of this fact, thus proving that he's an idiot.

If, on the other hand, all he said was, "That's not what the VIN is telling me..." then we need to ask the OP exactly how that conversation went.

- Eric

Intragration

Ha ha this is great.

joe_padavano

I'm no fan of most "mechanics", but in fairness, the general public is even worse. I've had people tell me all kinds of obviously incorrect information about their cars over the decades. The one thing I've learned is to verify for myself. Few commercial mechanics have the time or ability to identify a motor (especially a non-Chevy) by casting number. They are trained to go by the VIN and for 99.9% of the cars they work on, that is the most reliable way to identify the parts required (of course, they've never worked on a pre-1972 car, apparently). Don't necessarily fault the mechanic for doing his job, but if after you've explained to him that the motor has been swapped and he still insists it's a 260, THEN run from the building.

Intragration

FWIW, I created an updated spec sheet for my car, including all the non-stock parts I put in it, correct maintenance items, and an updated wiring diagram, in case I get hit by a bus and someone else ends up with it. If I was going to have someone else work on it, I'd be going over all the details with them, so they knew what they were dealing with, and making sure they knew that these were the facts, not just my impressions of the car.

krooser

I'd like to see that law about replacing an engine with an older one... might be some kind of emission thing in your part of the world but now mine.

MDchanic

That's my point - if the mechanic told him it was a 260, then he must have asked the mechanic - most mechanics don't go around saying, "I changed the oil and filter, and checked the fluids, your cap and wires look a bit old - I'd be happy to replace them for $300, oh, and by the way - you have a 260 in that car."

- Eric

joe_padavano

You don't say what your part of the world is, but if you live in the U.S., it's a FEDERAL law that prohibits tampering with ANY emissions equipment. That means you cannot install an engine that is not emissions certified for the year of the vehicle. Some states, including California, allow swaps of newer, cleaner engines into older cars, ASSUMING you include ALL of the emissions equipment that was installed on the engine in it's original certified installation. You CANNOT go the other way, however.

J-(Chicago)

PHEW! Thank god you're not my local emission guy, Joe. I wouldn't have a driver's license anymore,because the feds would revoke it for non-compliance.

On second thought, I have a 69' motor I could throw together and toss in the 62 to get to work I suppose.

It's simply un-American and unsafe in my opinion for someone like myself to have to tow a boat trailer and gutter machine/ladder trailer with a 260 in any 74-84 GM car. You're keen on engineering, so I'm sure you know where I'm at on that one. I could go buy a brand new truck to haul things with, but that would offset the purpose of my keeping my Old(s) junk on the road and in proud service to the country.

Now.....Back to our regularly scheduled program.....Joe is a wealth of knowledge, so Get him/us on the forum the casting numbers above the water pump and the number on the front/rear of the cylinder heads, and we will squash this mystery in a matter of seconds.

joe_padavano

Well, the question was about the law. I quoted the federal law but the reality is that never has a private citizen been prosecuted for this by the feds. It's only been used to date to go after businesses that disabled or modified emissions controls on many cars. Local laws vary by state and even by county. Finally, and we've discussed this previously, don't confuse what the law says and what someone hypothetically may or may not be able to sneak past a given emissions inspector in a given car on a given day. In the same way that most mechanics can't tell a 260 from a 350, most emissions inspectors can't tell that difference either, especially if the "incorrect" motor is dressed to look like the correct one.

Just sayin...