Date coded bearings and crank

[Lynn]

Just bought a really pristine 69 Corvette 350 horse 350 assembled October 69.

Me and my sweetie pie (I have the world's best wife) tore it down this evening. I had remembered almost everything having a date code when I worked at the Buick dealership in the 70's (even the front seal on ac compressors was date coded so the zone rep could verify that one you replaced under warranty was actually from what you claimed!) but had never thought about the bearing inserts.

I kept telling Sherri as we were tearing this apart that I didn't think anyone had ever been in this engine before. No silicone anywhere. Everyone uses silicone somewhere. No ridge on the cylinders, perfect pistons. Crank journals too smooth to be true. Well, after confirming that the crank is still indeed standard standard, I look on the end of the crank. Check it out. Then look at the back of the bearing shells.

[mockingbird812]

Nice detective work Lynn!