I can't get to the casting number on back of engine (under distributor) so this is what info I'm able to provide... Vehicle: 1970 Checker Marathon- V8 SBC, GM 2 Jet Rochester Carb., Stock single exhaust (rams horns),A/C & Heat, Automatic Trans., Power Steering/Brakes, Rusty Ol' Sumbitch Vehicle Serial #: A-12-7425-04968-A<O</O Motor #: V06102CD<O</O Color: L236<O</O Trim: 29<O</O Trans: PA<O</O Axle: 33P<O</O Brakes: DDF<O</O Intake manifold #: 3916313<O</O Drivers Side Exhaust manifold #: ? Passengers Side Exhaust manifold #: 3989036 RH 39 GM Stamp on front right of block (under generator): V06102CD<O</O (This is stamped just left of it. What does it mean? 8 cylinder?) à C-8<O</O My research has not described or identified the extra #2.(V06102CD) What does this mean? I cant get to the rear engine stamp. Too much gunk and its a tight squeeze. Maybe Im not looking in right place? I've tried to cross-reference by these various casting numbers but with no real answer. I would check my manual but I could only find a 1978 manual. According to that its a 305 but thought they didn't come out until later? I can get some more info this weekend. And pictures... Thanks everybody.
Good luck...sounds like fun. The 2CD code is probably going to be impossible to look up. The Chevy engine suffixes went to 3 characters starting in 1970, and the Chevy cars all started with C, the trucks started with T. Several years later they started using other first letters when they ran out of combinations. My guess is the 2 tells us that it's an engine that was sold to another carmaker...and I'd expect to see something odd like that on a checker engine. The engine is most likely a 307 or 350. If you can find the number on the back, that would help. But also the intake provides a clue, it is listed as a 350 intake, and the 307 used a smaller carb and different intake than the 350.
also...you might be able to tell if it's a 350 or 307 by the size of the damper on the front of the engine, behind the lower pulley. The 307 would use a small damper, about one inch thick, the 350 would use a larger one, 1.5" thick. But I'm going from old memory here, it's been 20 years since I worked on a 307
My MSA-1 book has 275 pages of suffix codes BUT none for Checker....all the Chevy CD suffixes are for earlier 283 Impalas. Dang.
Intake casting number shows to be a 69-70 for all sizes of engines. Exh manifold casting shows to be from 71-75....hmmm maybe a replacement?
Well, my Krause Standard Catalog Of Independents has a section on Checker. According to them, there was only one optional engine in 1970 - standard was a 250 six, optional was a 350 V8. But, it's also supposed to have a 4-bbl carb. The 305 didn't come about until 1977 or so and the year before I start seeing the base 350 be shown as having a 2bbl carb. So how about this - is there a tag on the carb with a number on it? Maybe that will come up and be a clue as to the year of the motor.
Didn't mention this earlier: this car was never an actual taxi. It was made/ sold for personal use. squirrel - ha! fun! actually its been pretty fun overall working on what i'm capable of...so far! yeah i figured something screwy was going on around the 1970 model-- numbers don't seem to match up. i'll check the damper too. Been beating my head for awhile over this due to lack of info but you guys sure are helping already. sweet! mike - very well could be a replacement but they look pretty old too. the downpipe coming directly out of is rusted pretty bad. looks like ginger snap cookies! but the straight exhaust pipes from engine to muffler still have some silver on them. and the talpipe is rusty bad too. don't know if thats even relevant... thanks for looking in your manuals-- it really helps to find out anything about this. rustynewyorker- i've read 350's should have 4 bbl carb too. clues like this are misleading to me, as if the engine was put together with parts lying around. sad truth is: it may be just that! I want to kick myself for not taking more pictures of the pertinent areas like the carb. it does have numbers stamped on the side if i remember correctly. Ok, this is is helpful stuff here guys, thanks. Now I'll just have to wait until this weekend to get some pictures and more information. just another day with my arms covered in black gunk again! But i can't wait...
I worked for the local cab company in the early 80s and all our cabs [checkers] with V/8s were all the same....4 bolt main 350s with a 400 turbo and dana 44 posi rear. The 6 bangers were all 250s with the V/8 drivetrain but I'm not familiar with the private [marathon] passenger cars.
Interesting. I wish i had a picture of the metal ID plates on the cowl and inside left front door -- the one on the far left cowl has some info stamped on it : one spot is stamped 350. Is it that obvious? Not sure if you can trust those 100% for engine ID. "The passenger car 350s were available with a 2bbl or a 4bbl." --> thats encouraging. I do hope for a 350 but I'll take what it is.
sounds pretty darn obvious to me. Although you might check the transmission, I think they all had the TH400 but Chevy was making the TH350 at that time too. Th400 has a wierd shaped pan, the 350 pan is a square missing one corner.
On the fuel line from pump to carb is a small silver filter, do i need that or will the inlet fuel filter in the carb work fine by itsself? If i don't need it then off it will go because both hose and filter are rubbing against my air filter assembly. Nothing major, but still... Is this 'secondary' filter common? NOTE: This is NOT my vehicle -- just showing the approximate size & location of filter!
You need one filter or the other, although having both shouldn't hurt. I would see about making a new line to allow the filter to fit properly, and use the inline filter. But it's up to you.
Well thanks for all your help guys. I found the engine casting # and got the heads too. Pretty dirty under valve covers... engine - 3970010 right & left heads - 3932441 Also, whoever put the post (then removed it) showing a picture of where the engine casting number is located -- thank you, it helped! So i have a 350 and that anwers my question. Now its onto carb rebuild..........
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