I pulled a 395558 2 68-74 350 block out of a 1980 lesabre diesel wagon and cannot fiqure out what year engine it is. The VIN-derivative is also a 10 number vin [size=16px]023Z100438. Any help appreciated as i am pretty new to oldsmobile engines. engine has #7 heads and 2 brl carb.[/size]

 

395558 2 is a 68-76 350 block.
7 heads are 1971.
Are you sure there isn’t a letter A after the 7?

So the block and heads are consistent with a 1971 350 engine.

I have no idea about that number on the VIN pad.

edit:
Corrected 7 head year of use.

 

Z100438 would be an early model year Fremont CA assembled A-body (F85, Cutlass, etc.)
but, one would expect
31 before that for a (3) Oldsmobile & (1) 1971 model year - 31Z100438
or
32 before that for a (3) Oldsmobile & (2) 1972 model year - 32Z100438
??????
23 would actually be (2) Pontiac & (3) 1973 model year - they didn't start putting Oldsmobile 350s in Pontacs in '73 did they ????

 

I agree on the engine stamping. The engine fiasco didn't start until 1977 I believe.

 

Are you sure there isn’t a letter A after the 7?.[/QUOTE] there is no letter A after the 7

 

7 heads are 1971.
7A heads are 1972

 

Oh wow, I was on my phone and having a lot of fat finger typos. I corrected all the others but missed that one. I remember fixing a 0 that was supposed to be a 9 and totally missed that 2 at the end. I corrected the misinformation above.