Engine Size Help...

[66DodgeCharger]

Hi, so i've posted a couple other post on help for my 1966 Charger, and now I have another one Hahahaha... So for a while i've been wondering what size my engine actually is, the guy a got it from says he had a guy look at it and he said its a 361, but the S.O number says its a 318 car or possibly a 361. Most of the color is off the engine block but I can tell it is a turquoise color or maybe a blue, I looked up engine block casting numbers and I also looked at the casting number on the side of my engine and it said 2658930-3 witch doesn't match anything I looked up... Do I have the right number? Am I reading the wrong numbers? Am I reading it wrong?... Any help with my predicament?

If you need more info let me know...

Thanks Jesse!

 

[IQ52]

2658930 is for a 361 block cast in 1965.

 

[A383Wing]

look on the pad under the distributor for the engine size if it's a big block

 

[66DodgeCharger]

Thank you! Any idea why the S.O number would say it is a 318 car?

 

[BBishere2]

Hi, so i've posted a couple other post on help for my 1966 Charger, and now I have another one Hahahaha... So for a while i've been wondering what size my engine actually is, the guy a got it from says he had a guy look at it and he said its a 361, but the S.O number says its a 318 car or possibly a 361. Most of the color is off the engine block but I can tell it is a turquoise color or maybe a blue, I looked up engine block casting numbers and I also looked at the casting number on the side of my engine and it said 2658930-3 witch doesn't match anything I looked up... Do I have the right number? Am I reading the wrong numbers? Am I reading it wrong?... Any help with my predicament?

If you need more info let me know...

Thanks Jesse!

If the distributor is on the back of the motor, it is a small block. If the distributor is in the front, it is a big block. That will help you narrow down the possibilities.

 

[Ranger16]

Thank you! Any idea why the S.O number would say it is a 318 car?

Maybe the engine was changed at some point?

 

[66DodgeCharger]

If the engine was changed at some point that would be bummer. not saying it isn't a great car still but matching numbers would just make it better...

 

[Darter6]

Or the guy stamping the tag may have had a ruff night.....Humans make mistakes...
Or I can see people mistaking a 361 for a 383.The distributor location tells the story.
Many people called the poly 318 a big block.

 

[Cranky]

Even if it doesn't have the original engine, the value isn't going to hurt that much if any. Seems most of the folks I know who like these cars would rather have an engine upgrade anyways. The 361 isn't a bad engine but, well, I'd rather have a 383 and it's a drop in and can look exactly like the factory put it there. The 361 has the same stroke as a 383. Big bore engines is almost always better than a small bore engine. For example, look at the /6. They have a nice looong stroke but a very small bore. They produce decent torque numbers low in the rpm range but do it pretty slowly. Now if the car came with the Hemi.....you'd want to keep that one of course

 

[66DodgeCharger]

Man if it was a HEMI I wouldn't have paid 2250 for it hahahaha... and i'm just wondering for the future if I was going to upgrade on an engine what would be the best engine to do it on?

 

[Cranky]

Well, first thing to know is the distributor in the back or in the front?