VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1937-1945 No dip stick

Anyone here ever see a 216 block without a provision for a dip stick? I pulled the stuck motor out of my 42 last night and in checking the 3 motors I got with the car casting number 838101 and there is no place for a dip stick. Appears to be a 1937 block. Were some incorporated into the oil fill?
Brian

Could it be plugged with dirt and grease?

Hi Don I don't think so it appears to be an old rebuild. Has a brass rebuild tag from Pacific Auto Parts Tacoma, WA. and has the look of a motor that has been sitting on a shelf for the last 40 years.

All Chevrolet 216 blocks had a dip stick. 838101 is a 1937 engine.
For 1937-1939 the dip stick was forward of the distribtor and from 1940 and up it was to the rear of the distributor.
The 1937 engine has no rear main seal, domed pistons which have to be used with the 1937-1940 head.
I would not put it back in the 1942 but rather find a 1941-1948 216 engine.

Hi Gene you are right. we found a rather well camouflaged plug were the dip stick goes. Must Have looked at it 10 times. We dropped the pan on it and found it to have insert bearings on the rods and appears to never have been run. I have already decided to go ahead and rebuild the original motor and sell this one to someone who needs a 37

Chev Nut,

He needs a 42-48 engine. Believe it or not, there was some minor differences in the 41 block. I'm not sure what but when I was looking for a 41 engine, the folks at Obsolete Chevy in Nashville, GA looked up the block numbers for me. They found that 41 was it's own block number. Then 42-48 was another block number.

Hi Brandon, I have the original engine to the car I was just going to put off rebuilding it while I used the 37 engine.
Now I'm thinking because the 37 appears to be an used rebuild, I would be better off to sell it and rebuild the original engine to the car. So if anyone is looking for a rebuilt 37 engine let me know.
Brian

Yes, the 1941 block is slightly different but other than the casting number noting major. Actually the 1948 block (and internal parts) is also different.
The difference in the 1941 block is the casting was changed due to the fact the starter lever opening was made smaller to eleminate dirt from entering the dirt at this location.
The 1948 block was recast due to changes in the main bearings and caps.
Late 1942 engines and early 1946s' did not have the rocker arm oil line running betweeen the cylinders in the center of the block. The line came up directly from the crankcase area.