VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1937-1945 year of block

I Bought a 40 chevy four door and it has a newer block in it. Does anyone know what year this thing is from the serial number is 2775308. Thanks in advance.

If thats the number stamped into the ledge behind the distributor is a 1940 engine.The 1940 engine numbers ranges from 22697268 thru 3665902 for Flint engines and B105462 thru B221935 for Tonawanda engines....That would be a Flint number.

The casting number on the right side of the block would be 839132.

What leads you to believe that its a newer engine?

The S/N ( 2,775,308 ) you list is for a 1940 Chevrolet. It should have a casting block number cast into the block at the time of pouring the Cast Iron into the sand mold of 839132. This latter number would be raised and part of the block on the passenger side and would have a "GM" near it. Good luck

Also you can find the date the block was poured from the casting date that is alsoon the passenger side of the engine behind the starter and it will be a 3 or four leter/number combination: such as A 3 0 or D 10 0. The first is for January (A) third 1940 and the second one is for April (D) tenth, 1940. Interesting to see the exact date (day month and year) the casting of the block took place.

hey chevgene
i thought it was newer because i have another 40 chevy with a completely different serial number and i believed the other one was a completely original car, whereas the one with this 2775308 number the previous owner started to convert the car to 12v and start to make a hot rod out of it......luckily nothing major was changed or chopped so its going back to original. I am going to need to check my other engine and see what that serial number is, but since you mentioned it i believe it started with a "b" which would mean i have one car with a flint engine and one with a tonawanda engine. I am going tomorrow to the house where i have the cars stored and i will look at both serial numbers on the engines and see what i have, thanks for the range of serial numbers for both engines........ oh by the way since i have time and money now i will be working a lot on these cars and im sure im going to have a boatload of questions in the future. This forum has already answered a lot of questions by just looking at older posts but im sure ill have more...Thanks again

Chevrolet 6-cylinder 216ci Cylinder

Block Casting Numbers 1937 to 1962
YEAR NUMBERS BLOCK CASTING NUMBERS
1937 1 TO 1187821 838101, 838710
1938 1187822 TO 1915446 [Flint]
B1 to B10502 [Buffalo/Tonawanda] 838710
1939 1915447 to 2697267
B10503 to B105461 838941
1940 2697268 to 3665902
B105462 to B221935 839132
1941 AA1001 to AA1163720
AC1001 to AC19549 839400
PREFIXES
1942 2AA, 2AC, BA 839770
1942 to 1951 Chevrolet 3837012
1942 to 1953 Chevrolet Truck 8335794
1946 DA 839770

The above list of casting numbers is not complete.Also it lists the later replacement engine casting numbers, not the original numbers.As an example the 1937 casting number was 838101, The 838710 number was original for 1938 only.The replacement 1937 engine was discontinued and the 1938 sold for rreplacement.After 1940 the 1939 became the replacement for both the 1937 and 1938 engines, and so on........

When the casting number lists were made later than the original year parts books were used.This caused the confusion.

Thru the years there were probably six or more different casting numbers used for the replacement blocks for 1941.In the end the 1953 216 block was sold for 1941-53 and the 1953 casting number was used and shown in the book.

As the generator numbers proved the book isn't always the best sorce for parts and casting numbers.The most accurate book would be the one for the year of the car - or perhaps one just one year newer.Example a 1929-41 book for a 1940 car.

The block with the serial number 2775308 i still think its from another year. I cant read the numbers in front of the serial number but the 2 bocks i have are completly different. The block with the 277#### has the distributor towards the front of the engine. Where i found the serial number was on the back passeger side of the block after the serial is a F. and then some numbers that i cant read because the dipstick is in the way. Let me know if this help or changes anything.

Also i need to do brakes and front end parts and bearing on the car. Besides prices is there anything different between chevs of the forties or kanter. Is one better quality????

Thanks All

The 1937 216 is the "odd ball".....Its was the first 216 and the engine number was was up next to the fuel punp.The 1938 and up have it on the ledge behind the distributor.All 216 and 235 engines have the distributor in the same location, which is in the center of the right side of the engine.All 216 US engines have the tall push rod cover that extends up to the valve cover.

A picture would be worth a thousand words.You can email it to me if you are unable to post pictures here.

Yeah ill try to get pictures this weekend as long as the weather is nice. I already have the front end un bolted from the body so i should be able to get some clean shots and find all the numbers i can. Thanks.

I found out some more information on this block. I did have a chance to remove the front end from the car, the only problem is i left the camera at home. But heres what i found out on the engine. The distributor is in the front passenger side. The valve cover is short, about 4 inches tall. The engine does not match up with the engine mounts on the chassis....for example someone fabricated a frong engine mount to adapt this engine, also the rear engine mounts on the chassis are about 3 inches from the block. Also on the side of the block is serial number i hat mentioned and is stamped into the side of the block next to that number is the plate starting with "f." and then the dipstick is covering the rest. Under that in big letters it says "GM" and under that staped into the engine it says "Hecho en Mexico". Hopefully this new info should help get the year of this thing. Thanks

From what you have described it the modern 7 main bearing engine. Thats the only Chevrolet engine that has the distributor to the front. There will alsoo be an oil filter next to the distributor. The engine could be a 194, 230 or 250 cubic inch...it it were a 292 the side cover would be taller...This "modern" engine also has two short side covers rather than one long one.
Seeing its made in Mexico it a be a replacement engine sold thru Chevrolets parts.

You are correct there is a oil filter next to the distributor. After seeing how terribly this engine is mounted in the car im going to remove it and use the other 40 block i have. I would use this modern engine for a while but i really dont trust the fabricated mounts on this engine and im not sinking money into an engine thats going to get removed anyway. Thanks a lot for all your help.

My index page leads you to a host of information:
http://clubs.hemmings.com/clubsites/chevytalk/GMhistory/index2.html

However for Canadian engines please ask! I have a database from 1915 to 1958!