Engine code help anyone?

Discussion in 'The Bench' started by BuickPower, Aug 20, 2018.

  1. BuickPower

    BuickPower Well-Known Member

    13124226-FD99-44B8-AB24-835015EF68AE.jpeg Hello...new member here and I am looking for some assistance from someone who could possibly give me some insight on the engine code that is on the body tag of our 68 Buick Lesabre...any help would be much appreciated
     
  2. Roberta

    Roberta Buick Berta

  3. BuickPower

    BuickPower Well-Known Member

    What’s the BK02473 mean then
     
  4. TrunkMonkey

    TrunkMonkey Well-Known Member

    5287 Lesabre 2 Door Hardtop Coupe
    TR K Aqua-mist body C white top
    408 black interior.

    BK02473
    Built in Kansas City, KS. and the car's serial number.
     
    Last edited: Aug 20, 2018
  5. BuickPower

    BuickPower Well-Known Member

    Thank you
     
  6. TrunkMonkey

    TrunkMonkey Well-Known Member

    We need more pics. :D
     
  7. BuickPower

    BuickPower Well-Known Member

    Ok...how about the other numbers on the body plate?
     
  8. TrunkMonkey

    TrunkMonkey Well-Known Member

    I edited my post with the codes to the info.
     
  9. BuickPower

    BuickPower Well-Known Member

    Thank you TrunkMonkey...question for you...would the vin on the car have the codes for the engine and transmission that came in the car?
     
  10. BuickPower

    BuickPower Well-Known Member

    The reason I am asking is because this lesabre has a switch pitch in it...and I thought that the switch pitch stopped in 67
     
  11. flynbuick

    flynbuick Guest

    05E = Built the 5th week of May 1968.
     
  12. flynbuick

    flynbuick Guest

    PP = 350 Buick 2 barrel carb

    PO = 350 Buick with 4 Barrel carb


    You car could have been ordered with either engine.
     
  13. TrunkMonkey

    TrunkMonkey Well-Known Member

    How do you know it has a switch pitch?
    Can you get a pic of the metal tag on the transmission?

    On the right side above the pan and behind the dipstick tube.
     
  14. BuickPower

    BuickPower Well-Known Member

    two wires connecting to it
     
  15. BuickPower

    BuickPower Well-Known Member

    and here is the story behind it...my wife has owned this car for 16 years...she is the third owner and is very knowledgeable of the car...when we met and she introduced me to her car she told me the history of it and how it has a switch pitch in it...not long ago the transmission broke...we parked it and just yesterday i removed it from the car and noticed that its a th400 out of a 74 pontiac...she almost threw up because some years before i met her she had someone "fix" the transmission in it and now just realized that they switched her transmission out....Now what makes me realize she had to of had the switch pitch in it previously was that there are two wires that was going to the transmission...one was connected the other was just zip tied to it...thats why i would like to try and find out if there is a way that i could find out for sure
     
  16. TrunkMonkey

    TrunkMonkey Well-Known Member

    The tag on the side will help with the origin of the tranny.

    Only speculating, but a few cars came off the lines with "non-standard" parts for the year it was built.
    Or someone could have done a SP swap on their own, but the brackets, wiring and interfacing components make it unlikely that it was a replacement from a repair of a bad transmission.

    (I posted about the tag about the time you posted about the tranny being "swapped".
    The tag would have given the build date and helped identify if it was original to the car.)
     
    Last edited: Aug 20, 2018
  17. LARRY70GS

    LARRY70GS a.k.a. "THE WIZARD" Staff Member

  18. BuickPower

    BuickPower Well-Known Member

    let me approach this from another angle...let me ask this...besides there being two wires going to the transmission from the harness...what are the differences as far as installation, components, etc between using a th400 and a sp400?

    ie: if the car originally had a th400, what would have to be changed to run a sp400 or vise versa

    and i just want to say now that i appreciate every ones time and sharing of knowledge in this thread
     
  19. LARRY70GS

    LARRY70GS a.k.a. "THE WIZARD" Staff Member

    The only difference between a THM400 and a Switch Pitch 400 (ST400) would be the front pump, input shaft, converter, and associated electronics. The SP has a solenoid on the front pump that routes fluid to and from the converter to change the stall. The SP transmissions had a throttle mounted switch and another switch on the upper throttle linkage to control the stall change AND kickdown functions. The throttle linkage for 67 and earlier cars is completely different than the 68 and up throttle linkage, so even if a SP had been installed in a 68 car, they would have had to design a way to control it since the 67 and earlier throttle switches would not work.

    Switchpitch1.jpg
    Switchpitch2.jpg

    The ST400 would bolt in the same as a THM400. Externally, they were the same. The yokes might have differed some.
     
  20. BuickPower

    BuickPower Well-Known Member

    Thank you Larry for the education on the differences...well knowing my wife she is gonna want a sp400 in the car one day...im picking one up this weekend actually....so more than likely i will figuring out how to control it.

    Im new to the Buick scene because of her and my classic car experience being 64-72 chevelles.....On that note, let me ask this then...Is the difference in throttle linkage between 67 and 68 a rod and lever type compared to a cable type like the chevelles in those model years....and if thats the case i would be assuming that the controls for the switch pitch are modeled around a rod and lever set up?
     

Share This Page