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350 Identification
I am semi retired but fully retarded according to the wife. Love old cars and have messed with them all my life. Drove a 64 Lesabre 4 dr hard top almost 50 years ago....my brothers car. Always loved it and my love of convertibles made it impossible to pass up this 64 white rag. Hate that it has a 300 so I bought a 350 engine and tranny out of a 67 Buick but found out that it must have been put into the 67 at some point because they didn't start making them until 68. The engine number is 48X113364....can anyone decode this? Would be nice to know if it is a low horsepower unit or something easily re-build-able into a relatively strong engine.
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Maybe someone else can help with the number you supplied, but there is help here: https://www.teambuick.com/reference/ident_engine.php
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that appears to be a 1968 EIN ( Engine Identification # ), which is just a VIN without the model / body codes of the car.
the particular engine wasn't coded in the VIN for 1968.
48X113364
4 = Buick division
8 = 1968
X = Kansas City, MO plant
113364 = sequential production number, probably fairly early in the year
on the plus side, this probably has decent compression. does it appear to be factory 4 barrel carb? 2 barrels are 'low comp' in 68 while 4 barrel 350s will blueprint out over 10:1.
the difference in compression is piston dish so if you're going to rebuild it and you're planning on new pistons you can set it for anything you want.
HEI distributors from the late 70s Buick 350 are plug and play if you decide to get rid of the points.
you aren't running a catalytic convertor so 100LL AvGas is a high octane option for you, even if you're just mixing it.
any rebuild should include the basic oil mods, look up the threads on those. definitely want the larger diameter pickup tube from late 70s v8 or Buick v6.
Hate that it has a 300
Rover / Jeep guys actually like those. if it's a 4barrel, there's some demand for the 1964 intake and alum heads because that's a one year only production. 65 and up production is all cast iron.
Rover guys use the 300 cranks to stroke their 3.5L engines.
some guys have actually thrown the Buick 350 crank into the Buick 300, that will give you 340ci if you don't change anything else.
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350 Identification
Thanks for the info...it is a 4 barrel. The 300 is a 2 barrel with a 2 speed...quite the dog. The 350 with a stock rebuild should really make it hop by comparison especially with the 3 speed 400 trans.
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oh yes, get the two letter Engine Code stamping, that will tell you exactly what the engine was originally.
PP is the high compression four barrel, PO is the low compression 2 barrel and PW is the *really* low compressin export engine.
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especially with the 3 speed 400 trans.
unless you're going with a nitrous shot or major upgrades, a 200r4 would be a better choice. shorter 1st gear + an OD top gear which is way taller than the 1:1 3rd gear of a TH-400.
if you stay with a 3spd auto, the TH-350 is lighter and has much less rotating mass.
any way you go will be a major improvement over the Dynaflow trans.