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Auto or 4 speed 383 RR

Posted By: ngpSatellite

Auto or 4 speed 383 RR - 12/07/17 04:58 PM

I bought a 1969 Road Runner 383Hp engine some time ago off of CL.. it has the original pistons etc... Is there anyway to tell if the engine came from a 4 speed car or auto by the numbers on the block... just curious.. I have the engine in my 67 satellite(auto) and it runs fine
Posted By: PurpleBeeper

Re: Auto or 4 speed 383 RR - 12/07/17 08:00 PM

I don't believe so.

You can "get an idea" if it came from a 4spd car because the crankshaft will be drilled in the back. Automatic crankshafts "normally" aren't drilled for the transmission pilot bushing, but no guarantee of that.

How SURE are you that the engine came out of a 69 Roadrunner?

I've seen some "numbers gurus" that can tell things from block numbers like:
a) must have been made in Plant X on the 2nd shift
b) Plant X only made certain cars & not others

What I'm getting at is that IF the engine came out of a C-body, & "most" C-bodies didn't come with 4spd, then the engine "probably" has an automatic (not drilled) crank. If it's for sure out of a Roadrunner, then "maybe" or "maybe not" the crankshaft is drilled for a 4spd.

That's all I've got....sorry not more.
Posted By: peabodyracing

Re: Auto or 4 speed 383 RR - 12/07/17 10:16 PM

Didn't 69 blocks have the VIN stamped by the oil pan mating surface? You could tell from the VIN if it's there, what it came out of originally at least.

I'm guessing you're not interested in dropping the transmission to take a look at the end of the crank shaft. A lot of work just to satisfy curiosity.

Glad you got a good running 383 anyway!
Posted By: cbusters

Re: Auto or 4 speed 383 RR - 12/08/17 12:35 AM

IF the engine has not been repainted and IF the paint is still original on the front of the original valve covers there would be a number written. That would tell you if it was a four-speed or auto, a/c or not. This was used for the assembly line workers.
Posted By: ngpSatellite

Re: Auto or 4 speed 383 RR - 12/08/17 12:36 PM

Thanks for the info Gents!!... To answer some of the questions..

1) the eng does have a vin stamped by the oil pan.. Ill get the numbers..

2) eng has an HP stamp on it a plus when I bought it, the eng had the original flat top pistons (only RR had these i do believe) .. got it for 500 bucks in 2008...

3) I do have some old pictures of the engine when I originally bought it and opened it up.. and if I remember right the crank did have a few drill holes in it..


so all in all if its a four speed engine... whats the big difference... performance??.. just a little finer balance? or the engine can take higher rpm??
Posted By: JohnRR

Re: Auto or 4 speed 383 RR - 12/08/17 06:02 PM

Originally Posted By ngpSatellite
Thanks for the info Gents!!... To answer some of the questions..

1) the eng does have a vin stamped by the oil pan.. Ill get the numbers..

2) eng has an HP stamp on it a plus when I bought it, the eng had the original flat top pistons (only RR had these i do believe) .. got it for 500 bucks in 2008...

3) I do have some old pictures of the engine when I originally bought it and opened it up.. and if I remember right the crank did have a few drill holes in it..


so all in all if its a four speed engine... whats the big difference... performance??.. just a little finer balance? or the engine can take higher rpm??


1) Post the info on the ID pad up top and the VIN, or a partial, off the pan rail, early 69 built engines may have the full VIN.

2) Incorrect, all 4bbl 383's in 69 had flat top pistons, both the 330HP non RR engine and the 335hp RR engine.

3) RR engines in 69 were painted orange , 330HP 4 bbl engines will be turquoise. The only hole you need to see, or care about, is the one for the pilot bushing in the center, rear crank flange.

4) The difference between a 4speed engine and the auto engine is the curve in the distributor and it has a different number carb, slight difference in it's setup tune. There is no RPM capability difference, or anything else you THINK might make it better.

Posted By: ngpSatellite

Re: Auto or 4 speed 383 RR - 12/08/17 09:12 PM

Originally Posted By JohnRR
Originally Posted By ngpSatellite
Thanks for the info Gents!!... To answer some of the questions..

1) the eng does have a vin stamped by the oil pan.. Ill get the numbers..

2) eng has an HP stamp on it a plus when I bought it, the eng had the original flat top pistons (only RR had these i do believe) .. got it for 500 bucks in 2008...

3) I do have some old pictures of the engine when I originally bought it and opened it up.. and if I remember right the crank did have a few drill holes in it..


so all in all if its a four speed engine... whats the big difference... performance??.. just a little finer balance? or the engine can take higher rpm??


1) Post the info on the ID pad up top and the VIN, or a partial, off the pan rail, early 69 built engines may have the full VIN.

2) Incorrect, all 4bbl 383's in 69 had flat top pistons, both the 330HP non RR engine and the 335hp RR engine.

3) RR engines in 69 were painted orange , 330HP 4 bbl engines will be turquoise. The only hole you need to see, or care about, is the one for the pilot bushing in the center, rear crank flange.

4) The difference between a 4speed engine and the auto engine is the curve in the distributor and it has a different number carb, slight difference in it's setup tune. There is no RPM capability difference, or anything else you THINK might make it better.



Vin on eng is RM21H9G121150
and it was Orange (now painted turquoise)
and i do believe the 69 RR piston was 1/8 inch higher with open heads.. the standard C body 383 piston was not that high.... thanks for the information John! ..........so not much difference with the auto and 4 speed
Posted By: JohnRR

Re: Auto or 4 speed 383 RR - 12/08/17 09:40 PM

Originally Posted By ngpSatellite

Vin on eng is RM21H9G121150
and it was Orange (now painted turquoise)
and i do believe the 69 RR piston was 1/8 inch higher with open heads.. the standard C body 383 piston was not that high.... thanks for the information John! ..........so not much difference with the auto and 4 speed


Road Runner coupe built in St. Louis.

The piston compression height in all 383 engines, 2bbl and 4 bbl, for every model Dodge, Plymouth, Chrysler built in 1969 is the same. The only difference is the 2bbl piston has a shallow round dish in the middle. All the pistons have the same 1.932 compression height and are .0025 below the deck surface in a blueprint spec block. The heads are also the same, the only difference is the RR heads have a valvespring with a dampner where the NON HP 383's, 2bbl and 4bbl, don't have the dampner. The HP engine has the same cam as the 375HP 440 Magnum, the 383 2bbl and non HP 4 bbl have the same cam as the 350HP 440 engine.
Posted By: Fat_Mike

Re: Auto or 4 speed 383 RR - 12/08/17 10:16 PM

Originally Posted By ngpSatellite

so all in all if its a four speed engine... whats the big difference... performance??.. just a little finer balance? or the engine can take higher rpm??


This subject was recently beat to death.
https://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/2378853/1.html
Posted By: JohnRR

Re: Auto or 4 speed 383 RR - 12/08/17 11:10 PM

Originally Posted By Fat_Mike
Originally Posted By ngpSatellite

so all in all if its a four speed engine... whats the big difference... performance??.. just a little finer balance? or the engine can take higher rpm??


This subject was recently beat to death.
https://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/2378853/1.html


I forgot about that ... yikes ... panic
Posted By: ngpSatellite

Re: Auto or 4 speed 383 RR - 12/08/17 11:48 PM

Originally Posted By JohnRR
Originally Posted By ngpSatellite

Vin on eng is RM21H9G121150
and it was Orange (now painted turquoise)
and i do believe the 69 RR piston was 1/8 inch higher with open heads.. the standard C body 383 piston was not that high.... thanks for the information John! ..........so not much difference with the auto and 4 speed


Road Runner coupe built in St. Louis.

The piston compression height in all 383 engines, 2bbl and 4 bbl, for every model Dodge, Plymouth, Chrysler built in 1969 is the same. The only difference is the 2bbl piston has a shallow round dish in the middle. All the pistons have the same 1.932 compression height and are .0025 below the deck surface in a blueprint spec block. The heads are also the same, the only difference is the RR heads have a valvespring with a dampner where the NON HP 383's, 2bbl and 4bbl, don't have the dampner. The HP engine has the same cam as the 375HP 440 Magnum, the 383 2bbl and non HP 4 bbl have the same cam as the 350HP 440 engine.


Thats where I picked up the engine.... St Louis...... Thanks for the history!!
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