# Deciphering 326 Engine Markings?



## Donny Nelms (Sep 30, 2017)

I found some engine marking on a old engine I acquired awhile back. Been told it was a 326 . I was told it is a 1963 engine.

Found these on the driver side of the block under or around the timing chain cover area.

263P
2309 93
600

The 600 may have been on the 2nd row and the 2309 93 on 3rd row. The 2309 93 may be a six digit number 230993 but the stamp looks offset with the 93 number.

any help on deciphering the numbers?

Is the engine worth salvaging and rebuilding for a 1967 Lemans? If not any swappable parts for a 1975 Pontiac 350?


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## Pinion head (Jan 3, 2015)

Below links will help you determine what the engine is, and possibly,mwhat it came out of.

How to identify your Pontiac engine

The '63 model Pontiac 326 (actually a 336) was only available in the last model year Y-body, the '63 Tempest & LeMans. The stock crankshaft in an original '63 326 has its own specific bolt flange on the rear to bolt to the '63 326 application "rope drive" driveshaft. In order to run a later 400 engine in an early Tempest or LeMans with the stock transaxle, that style of 3.75" stroke crankshaft has to be used. Not really any pluses for the '63 326 for later body engine swaps, it will not even have a pad to mount a starter. Block mounting for starters began with the '64 Pontiac engine models. 

As far as the '75 model 350 goes, it will bolt in all '64-81 Pontiac model chassis, if it runs and its affordable go for it! Of note, if the '75 Pontiac 350 was built in mid Feb of '75 or later, it should have it's original pair of 6X-4 heads. The 6X-4's have long been used, when milled, to raise static C/R on Pontiac 400 engines, also have a lot of potential when properly ported. For many years I pulled & rounded up 6X-4 heads as well as 400 cores for a national Pontiac engine builder. typically the late '75-77 Pontiac 350 was stripped of its heads, timing cover, valley pan, and hardware. Not much is different today, with build costs being very similar, most Pontiac'ers would rather build off a 400 or larger displacement block.


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