Can anyone tell me about my engine #'s?

[MikeMacCham]

Hey guys,
I have a 68 Charger that was originaly a 318, now it has a 440 and the other day I had it on the rack. I didn't see any Vin #'s like on everything else, how ever I did see these numbers on the engine block under the headers on the passenger side.
Some of the letters were unclear this is the closest to what I think it said:

   Couldn't read this whole line:         10_ _ _ _ 7S

Think I read:                                   9696880440S
May have been:                                E  86         5

   Couldn't read this whole line:            D N

[no318]

3698830-440 is the casting # for 440's 72-78 model years.  I IMAGINE that the top # is 10th month (october), ?? day. 7 for 1977 model year.  Hope this helps.  There is a partial VIN# stamped just above the oil pan rail.  Smaller letters.

[bull]

It depends on what year the engine is as to what numbers you'll find on it and where. The '69 and '70 engines had a milled pad just above the pan seam on the passenger side of the block with a partial VIN like no318 said. The '68 440 engines had the partial VIN on the top of the bellhousing flange. Either way there should be a casting number that shows the block's full build date on the side. I agree with no318 though, sounds like it's a 1977 440.

[Chatt69chgr]

The milled pad on the drivers side of the block just behind the water pump (which is only found on RB engines) has information stamped on it.  My 77 block says 7T  440  E  and below has a maltese cross.  That means that the block was a 77 vintage coming from the Trenton engine plant, it's  440 cubic inch displacement, and the E means cast crank.  The maltese cross means the crank had .001 undersize journals.  There are other codes which all can be found on either the net or in the Factory Service Manual at the end of the engine section.  Once you get the codes off your blocks milled pad, you will want to look them up.

[MikeMacCham]

awsome