ID on my engine.

I've searched the forum and read many links as how to identify between a 144 and 170. All signs Ive found point to it being a 170 except for the fuel pump. Which is not mentioned anywhere as an identifying factor. Its a 64 with orange valve cover, black block and no T or N on the block. The fuel pump that works has the sharper angle on the arm like on a 144. Would this prove its a 144 in disguise? I saw one post that says to put a wire in a spark plug hole and crank it over to measure the stroke. Any input would help.

I ran into this same dilemma with my van, a 64, the previous owner(my friend) told me and believed it was a 170, but the VIN states 144 and it has the blue valve cover and when I went to replace the fuel pump the 170 pump wouldn't work for the reasons you stated. I think you are correct to assume that the only way to know for sure without pulling the head is to measure it with a coat hanger. You could also pull the distributor and see if it has a 1/4" or 5/16" drive(mine has the 1/4"), but alas that still isn't conclusive unless it has a 5/16" b/c they made 170's with 1/4" drives in the early days(mid 64 change). Honestly I'm still not 100% sure my* original* van engine is a 144 or a 170, I assume it is in fact a 144 b/c of the valve cover but it has a later head.

If you find bottom or top with a coat hanger, mark it with a sharpie at the exit and then find the inverse and mark and you may be able to kind of determine the answer w/o pulling the head if you're careful about keeping the wire in the same position against the piston. The 144 has a 2.5" stroke, the 170 has a 2.94" stroke.

But either way if it's giving you any grief you should just drop a 200 in there imo, easy peasy lemon squeezie.

You can get 144 type(no guarantee that only 144's used them and not early 170's as well) from Mac's Antique Auto Parts. Or you can take your's apart and see if the later versions diaphragm is a drop in and swap in a new diaphragm from one of those pumps.

Thanks for the input. Yeah its very difficult to determine. The door code says 170 with an auto tranny but its now a 3 speed so it could also b a diffrent motor. The motor is doing great no noise smoke or anything else. Its the old Holley 1904, thats giving me the headaches. Had to rebuild it, but now i cant get the darn thing to idle. I believe its leaking air around the butterfly shaft in the throttle body. Which I cant fix / don't know how. Found a guy in WA that will refurbish it but its around $250. I can tell the carb has been greatly abused by someone during its life and it would probably have to b scraped not refurbished.

Yeah your best off to find a good rebuild-able replacement carb.

Check this out, this thread got me thinking about this again, so I just went over and took a putty knife to that area where the mark is supposed to be. Still couldn't make anything out so I hit it with some brake cleaner and a paper towel and low and behold there it was, a T! So my buddy was right, it is a 170! The guy he bought it from 20+ years ago told him it had a 170 and so it does! That's good b/c it's hard to find a anyone who's interested in a 144.

So anyway, that demonstrates that early 170's did infact have different fuel pumps than what they give you at the auto parts store when you tell them 64 170!!!

Sweet! I have a stamp like that on mine as well. Sort of, its very poorly struck but it looks like a single straight line in the center of a circle. Why i never thought it was a T. If the line was offset in the circle in any way id believe it to be an N but its dead center. Plus with the fuel pump being confirmed as either one. Im sold it a 170. Glad u looked at your today and we both got to learn something new about these awesome vans.

Yeah !