Projects How do I tell the difference between a 348 or 409?

Was walking through a local farm sale that will be in a few weeks and noticed a cut down Chevy car turned into a jeep thing.

Is there anything I can look for that easily will tell me what it is?

 

Short of numbers there is nothing I can tell you. Maybe try snagging he serial number and posting it. Someone like @squirrel with the proper books can no doubt decipher it for you.

 

348 has the dipstick on the driver side.

 

Found this also....http://www.348-409.com/general.html Also read somewhere that the 409 should have dipstick on passenger side?

 

Thanks guys, I'll go back and check for the dipstick

 

Its on the driver's side in the pic.

 

I bet it's full of rust. Sad.

 

I went back to look....its a 348...what's that worth? $500?


Looks like it was built out of a '57 Chevy. Has a nice Belair dash.

 

If its a 4bbl motor the intake it worth something even if the rest of the motor is rusty. If that helps any.

yes looks like it was once a '57 Chebby, I would like to have something like that. it reminds me of the sand rods we built when I was still in highschool.

 

Ran when parked!

 

Might check casting numbers. might have parts that are worth saving if nothing else. some had hi po heads.

 

I dragged a complete 348 tri power motor out of a barn just to get the carbs an intake manifold, The block had a fist sized hole rusted through it in number 1 cylinder. Love to have W motor someday!

 

How to tell the difference between a 348 and a 409.
You look at your timeslip the next time you go drag racing.

 

It's worth more if you can turn the crank, than if you can't. The car is pretty neat, it would be fun to get it running again and get a license plate on it

 

Already has a custom grille!

 

You cannot go by the dipstick because a truck engine and a car engine have the dipsticks on different sides. A 348 truck engine has the dip stick on the passengers side like a 409 car engine. An engine that old may have had the oil pan changed. You need to check the numbers

 

And no Pic of the "Nice" Belair Dash? Stop teasing us!

 

If you can get it cheap enough, might be worth buying.
Interesting looking machine, could be a lot of fun.

 

even if it is rusted stuck there is a couple hundred dollars worth of parts on that motor. I parted out a 216, a 265 and a Y block that were all junk and free, you would be surprised at what all the little brackets, valve covers, oil pans and what not go for

 

It would make a cool golf cart!

 

That'd make a helluva pit vehicle for that Purdy '55...

 

Lots of sellable parts that are tough to find, tins, water pump, distributor, exhaust manifolds if they are 2.5", fan housing, 5 blade fan. They are all remade but they get pricey.

 

500 no, buck seventy-five, yes (4 the whole thing in the picture)...

 

Did you get it?

 

The sale is the 9th of December....there's a '65 gmc big window long bed....might buy that to sell the front half.
Also a short bed '65 Chevy truck with a small window cab...pretty crunched up though

 

Wasn't there a one bolt difference between the 348/409 intake that made them not interchangeable? Or maybe that was pontiac..

 

Most 348s came with the small port heads (379s, 1147s, 333s, all digits at the end of the casting numbers) and iron intakes. The block and maybe the crank are the main value. Some heads are worth more than others (the 1147s, for example).

When the 409s came out there was a high performance option that included larger port heads (690s and 583s) and aluminum intakes (single 4 barrel and dual quad). Those are worth a lot more than the 348 parts.

Around the Midwest one can find 348 deals that run $300 - $500 for a complete but not rebuilt engine, while the 409s (even the truck block-based engines) are $2K on up to $8K depending on rarity. Generally passenger engines are worth more than truck engines and standard bore stuff is quite rare. There was a 340 horse 409 option in 1963-4 that used the small port heads (817 castings).

Good call on the truck oil pan, BTW! I've seen plenty of truck 348s with the 409 oil pan from the factory.

You really don't know what you've got until you take it all apart and inspect things .

Good luck!
Tom

 

Didn't the 409 also have a 'X' cast into the front of the motor on the passenger side?

 

Can't go by that either. I have a 65 348 truck block withe that X on it.

 

I had a 348 with the "X" on the block and the dipstick on the passenger side. Checking the numbers said it was a 1962 to 1965 GM replacement block. Probably could have been build either way, 348 or 409. It also had a small port medium riser intake. (it's about 2" higher than the stock 348 4 barrel intake). Its for sale, if the right guy needs it. Good luck with your purchase. Gary