Topic: Wondering what block I have in my 78' Trans Am

[BANONECHOP]

I have some shots of the block #'s from the engine in my T/A.
I was wondering if someone could help me figure out what the year and type of engine I have here.
I am almost certain it is not from this vehicle originally.

[LOMILETA]

well the 500557 block is a later 400, which may be the correct one for your car.

[BANONECHOP]

Well I bumped into this....... could this be correct.?

http://sidellfamilymotorsports.com/id1.html

This is telling me that it is a 1976

well the 500557 block is a later 400, which may be the correct one for your car.

[LOMILETA]

I cant see your 2nd photo, but you need to check the date code on the rear of the block by the distributor.

[BANONECHOP]

Well it states that 500557 is from a 1976 block... am I reading wrong.?

I cant see your 2nd photo, but you need to check the date code on the rear of the block by the distributor.

[BANONECHOP]

anyone......

[RENOVATIONS]

Casting # 500557 could be anything from a '75-'79.

As LOMILETA states, having the date code (near the distributor) will enable you to determine the year ....and engine block code (front of engine, passenger side of timing cover)will help with determining what car the engine came from originally.




Pontiac Engine #'s locations:



2 letter block code (front of engine/RH side):




Partial VIN stamping ( matches car if original engine...front of engine/RH side):




Block casting # (rear of engine/RH side/right of distributor)




Date/assembly #'s (near distributor shaft hole):

[BANONECHOP]

i have the numbers from the area where the distrib hole is...... and they are ... D276 what does that tell me?

[BANONECHOP]

This must mean    D= April acording to the charts..... 26th day..... 7  = 1977...

making this the correct engine.

[BANONECHOP]

Boys and Girls yet another surprise...... the block engine code is    " XA "

any help here......

I will say this..... i been looking it up online... and I can't find much.
I will give you this...

Engine code is :   XA
Engine date is :    D267
Engine Casting is   500557

I am having a hard time reading the vin off the block to see if it matches.

BTW.... does the cowl plate and VIN have any matching numbers ?
help some more.... !!

I know i know Im being a pain..lol

[Nexus]

http://www.pontiacpower.org/engine.htm

Found this.
it says your xa is 77 model 180 hp version

Hope it helps in your quest

[fb_rider]

From the engine code and date code, it does appear to be a 1977 L78 Pontiac 400 engine (180hp), so it's probably not original.  The VIN on the engine is hard to read - I had a very hard time making mine out until I pulled the engine out of the car.  There are not any numbers in the VIN that match the cowl.  Hope that helps.

There's engine number information right on this site at http://www.78ta.com/enginecodes.php.

[BANONECHOP]

So there is no way they could of put a 1977 400 L78 into a 1978 trans am ?
Like a late model 77 engine?

Or did no 1978 come with the block stamped with engine code XA and date of D267 ?

[fb_rider]

I could be wrong, but I don't think that there's any way that an XA engine would come in a 78.  Is there any chance the the X is a Y, which would make it a YA, which is a 78 engine.

[Joker (§ir£Ğragon)]

I have bad news for you here. Going back and looking at the build sheet you posted it shows that you're supposed to have the W72 engine package. (Look in the same column as the Y88 code, a few entries up) That right there rules out this L78 engine as the original.