# Help with engine code ID!!



## shoeman68 (Jun 7, 2015)

Can anyone tell me what kind of engine this is and year etc.. It's in a 68 GTO. I don't think it's a GTO engine code.

Thanks!!


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## shoeman68 (Jun 7, 2015)

Searching online I think it's a 1971 455 CID Pontiac?


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## 05GTO (Oct 6, 2004)

Here are the search results for the YE letter code, check the casting numbers on the back of the block.


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## Pinion head (Jan 3, 2015)

It's not a '71, '72, or '73 YE code block, no *(* in front of the assembly number.

My bet is on a '68 YE 400 out of a Bonneville, fairly common engine for its year, pulled several '68 YE coded shortblocks when I had a specialty core deal going, all were sold with 6X-4 heads.

O5GTO, not sure what websites ID chart that is, but there are numerous errors (exclusions of block casting numbers)


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## shoeman68 (Jun 7, 2015)

Thanks! I'll try to get some more numbers off block this weekend.


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## tonyskala (Feb 7, 2015)

Pinion Head's info has been accurate in previous posts. He presents good posts. 

Here is the chart I have with my resources. You really need to get the block cast code to figure out what it is. 

He is what I have

CODE	CAR	YEAR	CID	HP	TRANS	CARB	BLOCK CAST CODE	BOLT MAIN	Notes 
YE	F-body	69	350	265	Powerglide	1x2	9790079	2	AC int seat 45
YE	A-body	71	455	335	Turbo 400	1x4	483677	4	GTO Judge HO
YE	F-body	71	455	335	Turbo 400	1x4	483677	4	HO
YE	B-body	69	400	290	Turbo 400	1x2	9790071	2	int seat 30
YE	F-body	72	455	300	Turbo 400	1x4	485428	4	Ram Air
YE	B-body	65	389	325	Turbo 400	1x4	9778789	2	
YE	B-body	66	389	325	Turbo 400	1x4	9778789	2	
YE	B-body	67	400	325	Turbo 400	1x4	9786133	2	
YE	B-body	68	400	340	Turbo 400	1x4	9790071	2	
YE	B-body	70	400 290	Turbo 400	1x2	9799914	2


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## 05GTO (Oct 6, 2004)

Pinion head said:


> O5GTO, not sure what websites ID chart that is, but there are numerous errors (exclusions of block casting numbers)


Could you be a little more specific on "numerous errors", the only casting number not listed is for the 69 400. 9790071 was used for both 68 and 69 400s. The website is Wallace Racing and I usually find their information is correct and is the same as what tonyskala posted.


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## 68GTO4004Spd (Jun 19, 2008)

back by the distributor hole is a 4 digit set of num & letters (last number is year) 8 = 68. to the right of that is a casting code. Wallace racing site will decode.


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

Pinionhead has been wading neck-deep in Pontiac parts for decades. I wouldn't even want to guess how many he's had, built, repaired, or processed for further use. A real bank of hard-to-find- knowledge, and a huge asset to the Pontiac community, IMO.


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## Pinion head (Jan 3, 2015)

05GTO said:


> Could you be a little more specific on "numerous errors", the only casting number not listed is for the 69 400. 9790071 was used for both 68 and 69 400s. The website is Wallace Racing and I usually find their information is correct and is the same as what tonyskala posted.



Have mentioned this before, the problem with these Pontiac website "numbers ID" spreadsheets is they are only as good as the data being inputted. Nearly all Pontiac engine ID codes and block casting numbers were taken from data Pete McCarthy published in his two books. The latter book: 'Pontiac Performance 1955-1979' was groundbreaking for its time, first published in 1987, providing a ton of great info along with pics of many extremely rare parts and early SD cars. Many things the average Pontiac guy had never seen or may never see. While a great publication, it is also has its share of exclusions. On the above spreadsheet, off of John Wallace's site, there are several exclusions and one error in semantics. Having opened his number site many times, can easily note, it has many other mistakes on it. I like John, he is a good guy, and am not running down his website.

First mistake I noted is the garden variety '67 usage 400 blocks were split into two different casting numbers. The speadsheet only lists one for the '67 YE, a very common '67 big car block. The first of these two '67 400 blocks, the casting number was cast next to the distributor hole, just like the previous 326-389-421 blocks. The latter version has the block casting number cast on the sloping ledge above the oil filter mtg pad. I have had '67 YS blocks of each casting number.

2nd mistake , fairly minor deal (semantics), but noting the code YE for '71 models as "71 455" is wrong, it is the '71 455 HO auto code, by only noting 455, are inferring D port 455.

3rd, and this also, never made it into Pete's book...
There are 3 different block casting number 4 bolt 455's used in factory assembled '71 455 HO cars. Having owned quite a few '71 455 HO cars, including an extremely early built Lucerne blue/blue M22 '71 Judge, and 7 other factory '71 HO cars, am very aquainted with how they were built. '71 GM performance model production is very odd, as the US economy was not very good and there was an over two month long company wide UAW strike that threw everything into a tailspin beginning the 2nd week of September.

-the first '71 455 HO casting blocks were all certain E and F of '70 dated 9799140 blocks. These were used in the earliest of '71 455 HO builds. All the earliest cars out of at least 6 of the 7 assembly plants (5 A body, 2 F body) installed early '71 455 HO engine with the '140' block casting number. At the lower production plants , a few "140" casting HO blocks were even being used months later, well after the Fall Strike had been resolved.

-the second, and what was identified on the above spreadsheet, the 483677 4 bolt main 455HO block 483677 blocks were first cast in early July of '70. The earliest 483677 block I have ever owned was a low horse 455 big car block coded YG, it was cast G080 and was a factory screwup, had factory 4 bolt main caps factory installed. From decades of taking notes, examining original cars, parting yard and parts cars, buying cores, etc, there were very few GxxO dated 455 blocks, and there were many more H dated and early I dated 483677 blocks. The last 455 HO coded 483677 blocks, as well as normal 2 bolt main YC coded 483677 455 blocks were cast I100 (Sept 10, 1970). Factory installation of the 4 bolt main 483677 455 HO blocks began pre UAW strike at the higher volume assembly plants, like Pontiac. Then, as each plant came back on line after the Fall Strike, the assembled engines in the stockpiles (usually engine banks) began to be used up. A few plants, like Norwood were very slow to start back up. Norwood did not resume F body production til after the first of the year.

-the third '71 455 block casting was not cast till well after the Fall UAW strike. The first 485428 block I've ever examined was cast L020, and was assembled as a common ( high volume) YC code 455 block. The first I've seen originally assembled with 4 bolt main caps and factory stamped with 455 HO codes were cast late December of '70.

Of note, Pontiac cranked out a ton of the garden variety 2 bolt YC coded 455 blocks in '71. Every Grandville got one, so did nearly every Bonneville, then there were all the SJ GrandPrixs, the 534 GTO's, 15 455 Dport GT-37's, etc... I could talley the numbers, but just educated guess is over a 100,000 '71 model 455's coded YC. Have pulled several dozen over the years, none were assembled on the early '140' blocks. Until I run across one, my own research point to the only '71 model year usage '140' 4bolt blocks being assembled as '71 HO blocks, not as Dport engines, i.e, '71 455 codes YG or YC.

The 485428 casting was the most common factory 455 block casting and was used up through the '74 models. the '73 and '74 455 SD engines did not use them, they instead used their own special casting blocks.

Hope this proves interesting, and I would be remiss in not again noting, all of these Pontiac data collection websites have errors on them. So does just googling up an answer! Earlier today, answered a rearend casting number question in a topic for a member who posted the question last night. Having built nearly 800 performance GM differentials over the last 20+ years I knew the answer. Out of curiosity, I took a contributors quick advice off another Pontiac rearend casting number question, and googled what I knew was supposed to be the correct casting number, 9799202 in this case, to see what good old Google noted. Sure enough, the first thing Google noted for 9799202 was a discussion on this site, 6 years ago... The not so good... in that discussion 6 years ago, the original question was not answered correctly, the Buick Skylark usage McKinnon 12 bolt rearend was misidentified as a GTO rearend, then a contributor noted they had a 9799202 casting "12 bolt" rearend in his GTO. This was absolutely bad info, as the 9799202 center casting is a nodular cast Pontiac 10 bolt, not a 12 bolt casting number.


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## oldskool (Apr 26, 2015)

Pinion head, you must be nearly a hundred years old, to have done all the stuff you've done, huh ? :lol:


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## Pinion head (Jan 3, 2015)

oldskool said:


> Pinion head, you must be nearly a hundred years old, to have done all the stuff you've done, huh ? :lol:


Hardly, I'm mid 50's. for many many years busted my butt on the road/in yards, pulling an wholesaling specialty core parts, pulling parts for retail, spotting and dragging in project and partscars. For many years, when I was home and not on the road, built rearends, hit local yards, processed partscars, shipped out parts, ocassionaly got to work on one of my own projects. The nice thing, as local yard after yard of older cars cleaned out of older stuff, the owners relayed many walk-in customers to me. 

Few more things about me, as a young child I had some asthma issues. In concern for my son when he was was an infant and a toddler (he is leaving for college next week on a baseball scholarship) I would go out to a small leased shop and assemble posi rearends all night. On a productive night, could propperly build three 8.5's or 12 bolts. Begin at 9:00 PM work till 7:00 AM, come home get the smell of solvent off me, get 5 or 6 hours sleep, get the day started again. Am not sure if I mentioned it, the Pontiac engine builder you often put up links to for crate engines I kept him in 400 6X-4 cores for the good part of a decade. If you would like to make a trip this way once it cools off, doubt Im going to be on the web much, as am going to be moving out of the warehouse space I've leased for the last 20 years. The move is going to take a ton of work and I'm sure your doubts can be erased whether you'd like to watch or pitch in and help. Finally able to get into the home/acreage/shop my wife and I have been wanting/needing for many years. God is Good!


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## oldskool (Apr 26, 2015)

"... I'm sure your doubts can be erased.."


Don't doubt your Pontiac knowledge, at all. I've been around enuff to know when somebody is blowin smoke. As busy as you are, I don't see how you have so much time to post info on a forum, for free. 

Anyhow, what I like best about what you said is "God is Good!".

I can say Amen to that ! PTL ! That's a lot more important than all the Pontiac info there is ! Hey, glad ya'll are getting something you've wanted/needed. Wishing you and your family God's blessing and favor, for the future.


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## Pinion head (Jan 3, 2015)

Thanks oldskool, there are times I wish I could go 10- 12 hours at a whack outdoors, tearing down parts cars, cutting downed tees, and other grueling work, like back in my mid 40's... but it isn't happening. Learned my limits. Mentioned to my son today, come Fall break, when he comes home am going to need his help. He's not one to complain, but if no school or ball, he also likes to sleep in. Currently, it's just as miserable here outside, as it is down your way, just too much humidity and temps near a 100. Am trying to knock a dent in work outdoors for 5-7 hours straight before 1:00PM, then shower, cool off, work indoors, and occasionally ck in and tap on the Ipad.


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## oldskool (Apr 26, 2015)

*The Heat is On !*

Yeah, we have triple digits forecast for this area, several days in a row. The heat index, or "feel like" temps, because of the humidity, are supposed to be up near 115 degrees. 

Thank God for AC ! Hey, back in the old days, it didn't bother me a bit. I ordered my '69 Goat without AC. I thought it was much "cooler" riding around with the windows rolled down, and my arm resting on the door. Hey, it was just all part of the Musclecar scene. It was a great time to live in the USA, to be young, and have a GTO ! 

THANKS to all those who have served and fought for this country, who have made it possible for the rest of us to enjoy our freedom ! atriot:


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## shoeman68 (Jun 7, 2015)

*Block Casting Number Update*

Found it today. Would love to know exactly what kind of motor, year etc..
Thanks to everyone for their help. The knowledge you guys have is phenomenal .


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## shoeman68 (Jun 7, 2015)

*Engine Ideas*

BTW. This is the hot mess I'm pulling the engine out of. I have a 68 ready for restoration and I'm pulling all the parts off this for use as needed.

If anyone has suggestions on how to turn this mystery motor into a beast, I'm open to suggestions. I want to have it professionally rebuilt and drop it into a 1968 Lemans 4spd I have also.

Thanks Again! I'm up in Billerica,MA North of Boston


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## shoeman68 (Jun 7, 2015)

Great old pics Oldskool!


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## Pinion head (Jan 3, 2015)

Ck the casting date back by the distributor hole, my bet is still, it's a '68 400 big car block. IF so, original heads are going to be '68 casting #15's...or heads have been swapped out.


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## shoeman68 (Jun 7, 2015)

I'll check now. Then send pic on a post.


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## shoeman68 (Jun 7, 2015)

*Casting Date Distributor Picture*

Here is what I wire brushed off. Hope this gets us closer to what I got.


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## oldskool (Apr 26, 2015)

shoeman68 said:


> Here is what I wire brushed off. Hope this gets us closer to what I got.


I think they have already nailed down what you have. The casting number and 2-letter code shows what it is. And this date code shows that the block was cast in '68. 

I've got a question for you guys. Some sites do not even list #215 heads, at all. One site shows the #215 on the same app as the #15. Then, one site shows that they came only on the 350hp '68 GP, and have big valves and screw-in studs. So, who knows the exact app and specs on the #215 heads. Valve size ? Screw-in studs ? 

Pontiac V8 Casting Numbers

Ron's Pontiac Page: Stock Pontiac Head Specs


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## oldskool (Apr 26, 2015)

*Beast*

"...If anyone has suggestions on how to turn this mystery motor into a beast, I'm open to suggestions..."


That's easy, if you got the coins.

A 4.5 stroker assembly from Butler, some KRE High Port heads, a mild roller cam, a Northwind or Victor intake, and a big carb.

http://www.jbp-pontiac.com/products/engines_assemblies/rotating_assemblies.html#494_501

http://www.krepower.com/Pontiac Aluminum High Port Cylinder Heads.htm

http://www.sdperformance.com/viewProduct.php?productID=1816

http://www.krepower.com/Pontiac Intakes.htm

My engine guy built one that made over 750hp, at 5900rpm. He ran it on E-85. Built for dirt track, but put in a '69 Goat, when the track closed. 

But if you're on a smaller budget, you can still make some nice power with the cheapest cast crank Butler 4.25 stroker assembly, 6x iron heads, a decent HFT cam, and a good Q-jet. Since I'm old school, I like the RA4 / Rhoads combo. This will give you over 400hp and over 500ft lbs of tire smokin torque, aprox. 

http://www.jbp-pontiac.com/products/engines_assemblies/rotating_assemblies.html#461_467

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Engine-Cams...-V8-/131527250214?hash=item1e9fa29126&vxp=mtr

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/rhl-9518/overview/make/pontiac

Also provides good idle and plenty of vac to work vac brakes. But I'm not gonna get into another cam debate. Already been there and done that. 

http://lenwilliamsautomachine.com/455_Long_Block.html

http://lenwilliamsautomachine.com/455_Short_Block.html

And of course, there are options that fall somewhere between the 2 engines I mentioned. It all depends on exactly what you want, and your budget.


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## shoeman68 (Jun 7, 2015)

Okay ! all this gets going in the direction of what to do with this motor. Great suggestions oldskool. It will be a while before this motor gets overhauled. 
Have a great week all!!


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

Great pics indeed, Oldskool! Really 'brings back' the era. If you have any more, feel free to post them....I think all of us appreciate this sort of thing.


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## 64cutlass (Mar 9, 2021)

05GTO said:


> Here are the search results for the YE letter code, check the casting numbers on the back of the block.


Where can I find that chart? It lists
multiple years and models by code! I have a Pontiac WY engine


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## Old Man Taylor (May 9, 2011)

Wallace Racing block codes


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