VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1937-1945 1940 engine number

Hello everybody,

Since few hours I have back my internet connection, the company did need 4 weeks to switch it from my old home to the new adress after moving. This is really modern service quality...
Am beginning to work on my "new" 1940 special Deluxe which I got on Jan 10th at midnight after a 2 month trip over the ocean.

Let me ask: I know where I should find the stamped engine number. Just left of the distributor. But there is a clean area and it looks like the engine did never have a stamped number. As well I tried to find the casting numbers as I did learn to read and understand them on the older engines like on my previous 1931. But there is nothing except two big letters showing "GM" at the fuel pump area.
the colour of the engine is blue.

Could it be possible that is a later built "exchange"- engine? In wikipedia I could read that the 1940 216,5 cui engine was produced without any change until 1989.

What do you think about that?

Best regards
Stefangermany

The last 216ci was 1952.

One of the experts here will chime in but I believe the engine has been replaced. I've read that replacement engines were unstamped and the dealer was to stamp the number. If I'm wrong someone will correct me.

http://talk.classicparts.com/showthread.php?p=40934

Here's some talk about that.

The 216 engine was used by Chevrolet from 1937 through 1953. There were many changes along the way.
The engine serial number would have been stamped into the ledge behind the distrivutor. If a new block was installed (new from Chevrolet) it would not have had a number stamped and the person installing the block was to stamp in the nummber from the original block. This did not always happen.
The raised casting number should be down between the fuel pump and distributor. This number was 839132 and was used in 1940 only on cars and trucks. There sould be a casting number on top of the cylinder head under the rocker arm cover. It should be 838773.

The 216 engine will have the tall push rod cover that comes way up to the rocker arm cover.

There must be more numbers down low on the block casting.

There are a number of ways to tell the differences in Chevrolet 6 cylinder engines. Could you measure the width of the sheet metal side engine cover which is on the passenger side of the engine. On a 1940 engine, you should notice that the 6 spark plugs appear to screw into the engine right thru this side cover. How many inches is it from the top of this sheet metal side cover to the bottom of this side cover? In our measurements here in the USA, it is 9.5 inches. If you measure yours in milli-meters we will just give you a conversion figure. That will also help us to narrow down what year it is.

dtm

Hello "dtm",
just coming home from the place where my 1940 is garaged, did check out the side cover, I guess you are talking about the pushrod cover? It is 9,5 inch indeed, and the length (from 1st to cyl. 6) is about 26,78 inch.
The distance between the spark plugs is (from middle of the plug to middle): 4,3 inch
Did check the area around the distributor again and found following casting numbers:
Big letters. GM and a big empty circle right of it and the
small numbers 3835497 in a line under the "GM" letters,
and in a second line: 24
More I could not find.

At the moment I found following info at hemmings.com database about casting numbers:
1950-51 3835497 216 Passenger, Truck
Seems it is the right engine (size, power) and about 10 years ounger than the car.

Hi Stefan,

First, the number 38354987 is the number of the block casting on 1950 and 51 engine blocks. So your 216 engine block is not a 1940 block.

Second, do you have a Chevy of the 40's parts catalog? It has lots of pictures and is a wonderful source of parts and restoration information. They have a web site and you can order a parts manual from them

Third, are you familiar with all the old Chevy manuals, handbooks, etc. available at the following web site? http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com/

Fourth, my wife is a retired German teacher, and although your English is better than most of us car guys is!!! if you get frustrated with a problem because of our language differences you may call or email me. I'm in Michigan and my phone number is 989-832-7634. If I don't answer leave a message any I will get back with you. Our email address is fraub48@yahoo.com.

Fifth, I will accompany my wife this May to Italy, Germany, and Austria with a group of 10 other retirees. She will lead the trip. I looked on a map and unfortunately, the closest we will be to you is Munich. Maybe, someday we can make arrangements to visit?

Last, when I die I hope to give my 41 Chevy to friends in Oldenburg. I know how the Germans value, respect, and maintain old things. Best wishes, Mike

Hello Mike,

thank you for all input!

I did think about a possible reason why the car did need a new engine after 10 years driving. These old engines run very good and I guess it might have been not a "normal" problem of wearing out of the pistons or bearings or other just normal problems growing up if the car gets older. In that case the owner would have done an overhaul. But the car came from a central state in US where they have really cold winters. Maybe in a cold winter the coolant did freeze in and the block did crack because of missing antifreeze solutions in the radiator system. A frozen up block is not worth to repair if there are new blocks available. Next step will be to open the valve cover to see the casting numbers of the head. Maybe the head is from the original engine, who knows. For me that is interesting history, to find out more about the car's background.
The last owner a man in a age around 90, R. Schmidt (german name?) had no idea about or did forget it.

No, I dont have the 1940 parts catalog yet. But I know the website oldcarmanualproject.
For me it was not important original engine or not. It must just run nice, original or not does not matter.
But it is a very complicate proceed to register the car here in germany. One step is to check all numbers and to have proof it is a 216 engine. Of course the checking engineers have avsolutely no knowledge about that car, it seems there are just two original 1940 special deluxe fourdoor registered in germany. Mine and the other far away. So it is on me to teach them how to see it is the right engine for that car and the original Carburetor and some more important things.
But I made a printout of the hemmings website and it will help a lot.
You are in Munich in May? Maybe we could meet there. it is not so far from my town. I hope to have my 1940 ready and registered until may and of course I would come with my big blue monster (as my neighbour called the car when he did see the size...). You may see my 1940 at:

http://de.fotoalbum.eu/stefha/a538117

These are old pictures from at least 2005 before I bought the car, but at the moment I have no time to take new photos. We did move to a new home few weeks ago and the job is not finished yet.

Best regards
Stefan
My english is only ok when I type something and have time to think about words and grammar. While talking sometimes I run out of words. Have to sort german, english, turkish and some words suaheli in my brain while talking and sometimes I grab words from the wrong box and mix the languages in a funny way.

Shoot, I do that too. And I only know two languages, English and American (sometimes when I watch Top Gear I wonder if I really know English).

Stefan is being modest. His English is excellent, both written and in person. He's a great friend and a good host, too...... and a talented mechanic as well.

All the Best, Chip

Hi friends,

today I did remove the valve cover to see the numbers there.
I found:
Between cyl #1 and #2: GM 838773 and in 2nd line: 22
Between cyl#2 and #3 I found: 00NV12
and between #4 and #5 I found: B210
All numbers are on left (drivers) side at the valve springs.
Checking the hemmings website I guess it is the original head of 1940 and just the block was changed around 1950.
1940 matches with 838773 (the 1st number)
Who knows what the other numbers mean?
And, what a pity, I found a broken bolt at exhaust manifold cyl. #6, rear bolt, exactly where you have no space to drill it out without removing the head or whole engine. But it looks as it is broken since decades and I could nor see any marks of blowing neither hear anything, so I have hope it is tight enough and nothing to repair.

Regards
Stefangermany

Regards
Stefangermany

You are correct. That is a 1940 head on a 1950-51 engine. The problem is the 1940 head was designed for the dome pistons used in 1937-1940. The 1950 block will have flat top pistons. This will enlarge the compression chamber and lower the comprssion ratio greatly. The result is loss of power and fuel milage.
If the manifold isn't leaking at that point I would't worry about the broken bolt. The 1949 and up engines did not have a bolt on the ends of the manifold, only a guide stud.

Hello Chevgene,
as I posted nobody knows the reason why the engine was combined like that. Maybe because the block did freeze up and crack in a cold winter.
I guess I should try to remove a spark plug to see insdide the engine with one of these mini-cameras to see which pistons I have. I know a repair shop where they have one.
But first I must get the car on the road. The car is good in general, but the old original electric wiring is a bit too poor and dangerous in my mind. And I must add turn signals of course. It is an old car, but to drive it today it must follow the rules and laws of today, so there will be some work left before I get the license to drive it.
But I will keep it in my mind and check it after having my license plates. Actually I just know it starts on first try, even in winter, and runs good.
We'll see in spring...

Regards
Stefangermany

Hello everybody,

am still working to get my 1940 ready next week.
Will try to do the car inspection to get the registration and "title" in 1st week of April.
Today I took out the generator to replace it with a 12 Volt alternator, and what surprise? Just under the generator, between the gen. mounts I found a riveted plate with the number 82068 on it.
Who knows what that number should tell me?

Regards
Stefangermany

I would GUESS it is an number used by an engine rebuilder for ID.

My 1941 engine has such a tag riveted to the block under the generator. In addition to the control number, it lists the new sizes of the crank, rods, and pistons. Useful information if you have to perform work on the new block/head combination.

Hello Ray,
it seems you understand to read that number.
What should the number 82068 tell me?

Stefangermany

It is a guess, but I suppose it may be the engine rebuilders control number.