What Dodge BB 400 engine do I actually have?

[patrickp]

Hi folk's!  2 part question.  Recently I bought a 1978 Winnebago Chieftain 23 footer model #WDP23RG.  The chassis is a Dodge 1977 M-400.  Per Winnebago, only a 360 or 440 was offered for that year & model.  The Vin for the RV is #M40CA7T01539, which means it should have a BB 440.  Well it doesn't but rather it has a BB 400 instead.  The side of the motor casting says 400-6530 & the front right ID ledge says 7T-400.  Ok, I get that someone before I bought it changed the motor & yes, the motor runs fine & recently the transmission got rebuilt.
What I want to know is what this motor originally came out of?  From another motor home, a truck or yes even a car?
I looked up the number's on the harmonic balancer / damper #3614374  per the on line
"440 source" which is a damper for a cast crank but it also says the damper can be used on a steel forged crank as long as it's a manual transmission which makes me think it came out of a car.  What I dont know is if the crank is cast or forged steel because I've not pulled the oil pan to inspect yet.  As we all know, Class A motor homes must have a steel forged crank due to torque
Thanks in advance !.

[John_Kunkel]

Look closely at the pad where the 7T-400 is stamped, there should be other stamped data there. If you find an "E" stamped it's cast crank. I would expect any '77 400 to have a cast crank.

[patrickp]

Thanks for the advice.   The head covers some of the markings.  Isn't there matching markings too behind the starter?  Guess I'll have to pull the starter as well.

[Kern Dog]

If the engine was originally installed in a car or truck, the ID on the VIN pad will tell the tale. You will have to decode it though. It is just above the bottom edge of the block near where the oil pan bolts on.
If it was a Dodge replacement engine, there may be nothing there.

[patrickp]

Hi!  I did clean off the lower pad by the edge / oil pan passenger side with a soft cloth but there was NO stamping on the PAD at all.  So would you say that at or in those times that in 77 to 80s that a blank pad meant that only the dealer could've bought this motor because there are NO marks or are you saying that dealer or not sometimes it's marked & sometimes it isn't?