Hi! I've been ghosting here for a week or two, and figured I'd take the plunge. I've got a 1969 Plymouth Valiant, 4 door. I know it's a slant, but the guy who sold the car to me knows the engine is not original. The only numbers on the block I can see are on the driver/manifold side, as follows: 3304 717 34. I was hoping someone could tell me about the engine, whether it's a 225 or 170 or 198.

The VIN correct would be a 170, but I'm hoping it's a larger slant. I just can't get to the spark plug side numbers the way the engine sits in the bay, and I don't have the tools or know-how to pull the engine just for this. Thanks all!

-Jon

If the water pump by-pass hose is about 3 inches or so long, you have a 225. Real short is the 170. Think the 198 is long also.

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65 Dart station wagon slant 6 - now under construction
47 Dodge Custom 4 Door sedan
87 D100 Short Bed slant 6

Retired USAF 1966-1986
Retired US Postal Service 2004-2014

Post the digits and letters stamped on the pad on the top of the block under the #1 spark plug and behind the alternator.

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Casually looking for a Clifford hyperpak intake for cheap.

Reed,

I can't get back there. There's no room, and I am not going to pull the engine just to get this info. There is literally four inches, with the alt in the way. Can't get the info from under it, either, as the body panels and K frame are in the way.

You don't have to pull the engine to get to those numbers. You may have to slip off the alternator belt and swing the alternator out of the way, but that's easy enough. You can also pull the alternator if need be. Disconnect the battery first though.

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Joshua

Reed's right — you need to scrape away the grease and grime on the ledge at the top of the block, facing the sky, under the frontmost spark plug, behind the alternator, and inboard of the ignition coil. If you think there's no room or that you need to pull the engine to see these numbers, you're not looking in the right place. These numbers are readily and easily visible (once the grease is scraped away) without removing or moving anything, and just by standing next to the engine compartment at the front of the passenger side and looking down at the right spot. Here is an example photo. The block in this picture is bare (no fuel pump, no cylinder head, no alternator/coil bracket, etc.) but you can see where the numbers are stamped:



Welcome on the board. Tune-up parts and technique suggestions in this thread. The engine will need periodic valve adjustment. Get the three books described in this thread as quickly as you can, and start reading. Carburetor operation and repair manuals and links to training movies and carb repair/modification threads are posted here for free download.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Dan,

Thanks for the picture. I was looking in the wrong place. Now, however, I am looking in the right place, and not seeing anything. It was painted over, so carb cleaner and a wire brush took everything to bare metal all the way across, and I have nothing. The lip on my block is longer, extending almost all the length of the block. I cleared the whole thing, thinking it might be somewhere along that lip due to model/year changes, with no luck. The guy who sold it to me claimed it was a "70's" engine; does that make any difference regarding location? Thanks for your time,

-J

Any chance you can post a picture of what you are looking at?

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Casually looking for a Clifford hyperpak intake for cheap.

Check similar location below rearmost spark plug; sometimes info is found there. But posting a picture of where you're looking would be a good step, too.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

I've gone all the way across now, with nothing but dirty fingernails to show for it. Other locations/thoughts? I just don't see how there could not be a casting number, or that I'm the only person with this uber-special block with no numbers..

Some day I'll get a digital camera, or learn how to send pics from my phone. Until then, I don't have a way to show you that even a Marine can look at the pictures and follow directions
Thanks for trying, all.

-J

Alright, well, let's at least identify the block itself. Look at the casting number on the manifold side of the block. Just peer at the block itself under the manifolds.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

The numbers on that side, about an inch tall, are: 3304 717 34. I hope that's the stuff, because I don't see any others. The mystery block saga continues!

Just some remembered rambling here,I seem to recall that replacement motors from the factory for warranty or what ever came with no #s stamped on the block.IIRC the dealer/shop was to transfer the #s to the new engine.That sound about right? i know my block has no serial #s other then the infamous maltez cross(or propeller) to indicate factory undersize on mains or rods.Some one said that the serial #s didn't always get transfered so maybe this would explain your naked serial pad,or maybe the block was decked so far the numbers were shaved off?

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83 B-150 slant 6,4 speed. 79 B-300 360 pathfinder 4x4. 74 W-300 318 4x4 git-r-done 80 B-100 sl6,4speed

6shot,

Thanks a bunch! Now that I know I don't know what it is, what's the correct way to put out what we used to call a thrash call? It's kinda like putting out the Bat-signal, but for car help. I'm inviting people over this weekend (assuming it's not raining) to give me a hand looking at the car, making a list of fixes, and just generally helping out. Burgers and beers (afterwards, of course) anyone? I'm in Mystic, CT, in the grand old US of A.

the photo on this thread here was super helpful in finding my #.
I was thinking I had a 198 but my engine block reads :
HW 225 3706

is there any way to get the year it was made from that #
or is that determined from a diffrent part of the engine block ?

id like to nail down a year for it so I will know wether or not to remove those little spark plug crush washers or if thats not aplicable to my specific engine.

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1972 Plymouth Valiant / slant 6 auto