I recently acquired a (I think) 1968 426 hemi and I was hoping to learn whatit might belong to. There is no VIN on the bellhousing or the pad on the block side. The oil pan rail is stamped:
3-7-68
R2 HC
NM42624290001
"maltese cross"
The top pad of the engine is stamped:
SM
105
Any thoughts on what this engine came out of? Thanks!

OK, once I respond you should get plenty of people telling you different,
if there is no vin stamped, then it was bought over the counter, as a bare block or replacement
and did not come in anything

The 3-7-68 is the build date.
The "maltese cross" means the bearings are .001 undersize.
The NM42624290001 should be the casting # with sequence, but the number doesn't look like anything I have seen.

The stampings on the pad are weird too.
They should be F(letter) 426, with the letter being the year, with 1968 = D, but I have never seen SM 105.

So check that you have cross bolts on the center 3 mains, and that the top 4 head studs go into the valley area. That's the real way to tell if it's a Hemi block.

If it is a Hemi block, then I suspect it was purchased separately and was not part of a production build.

It seems odd that it has the 'NM42624290001' stamping, which has an assembly date, and then has the 3-7-68 stamped also. I don't have access to Snoopy's 10,000 day calendar convertor, it would be interesting to see if the two dates match. What is the casting date on the block? It would have to be a '68 casting to have the VIN pad. It may be a service shortblock. Does it have the rivet above the center soft pug opening? Can't remember which side. For street Hemi's, '66 is stamped BH426 and '67 is stamped CH426. '68 and later blocks do not have the year code and displacement stamped on the distributor pad. Typcially they will have 'WT' stamped (or 'TW' as I have seen) for water tested.

Quote:

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The oil pan rail is stamped:
3-7-68
R2 HC
NM42624290001
"maltese cross"
The top pad of the engine is stamped:
SM
105
Any thoughts on what this engine came out of? Thanks!

---

Pictures would help ALLOT

Just based on what you've posted I'll have to make a few assumptions.


3-7-68 = Engine short block assembly date
R2 HC = Need to see a pic of that to go further
NM42624290001 = NM (normally stamped MN) Marrysville Plant
426 = 426 Cubic inch engine
2429 = Final assembly date March 22,1968

"maltese cross" = .001 undersize crankshaft

SM = S = "Service" M is likely a "W" which would be Water Tested Block, a "T" would normaly be there as well.

105 engine build sequence



As mentioned above by another poster it's likey a Service Assembly sold over the counter or installed under warranty. Look for signs of a rivot or a metal tag on the side near a freeze plug boss, service/warranty engines all had them.

Tag

Some pictures from my not so great camera of the stampings and casting date. Cast date is 1/15/68.

More pictures

Oil pan rail

and another

S.M. Sox and Martin?