VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1912-1928 Engine numbers

I need some help in identifying some old Chevs. We have a bunch of early to mid twenties Chevs and engines and would like to know which models they are. I know that engines get swapped around and replaced but a list of engine numbers for the different year models would be real handy.
I have a restored 27 Chev Capitol ute and I'm sure of its age, but it seems like some others (especially light trucks) are a bit of a mixture.
One of our Chev trucks has 26-looking guards (not the crowned guards of 27 and 28), looks like a 28 engine, bullet headlights like a 27 and throttle/advance levers like a 1926 Superior.
Anyway, a list of engine numbers would be great. Any ideas?

http://home.earthlink.net/~scrippsbooth/chev.html

http://home.znet.com/c1937/Cast.htm

27 head single exhaust port and prior years

28 head dual exhaust port

also tech talk go to Chat Homepage above then to Tech Talk "hot links"

https://vccachat.org/ubbthreads.php/forums/38/1/Tech_Talk

these sheets should be posted to tech talk!

Thanks Ken and Bluezone. I have copied and filed that information for future reference.
Were there two 1927 Chev models? Pre June and post June? Any other differences besides slight increase in single exhaust port size? Were thay both designated 'Capitol'?

My 1927 engine number is R3442994

Some of the parts used in trucks didn't change when the passenger cars did. An example the steering column in '28 trucks is the same as '25 passenger cars with the levers just under the steering wheel. In that time the car levers moved toward the dash and then to the middle of the steering wheel.

'28 1 ton trucks used the same radiator shell as '27 and didn't get front wheel brakes until the last month or so of production. The 1/2 ton trucks used a steel version of the '28 aluminum shell.

So trucks can be difficult to identify if engines have been changed.

around June of 27 the head was upgraded with larger valves and larger carburetor, the distributor also changed.

Would love you see the complete sheets that you posted Bluezone. I have been trying to identify a FA which I have.

I second that

Do some scratching around in Tech Talk and you will find a lot of valuable information.

Picture of the A4 sheet

Only a printer guy would know what A4 means in the USA! Only built printers for 12 years for Xerox.

So where did you get that information?

OK. A4 mean the size of the paper. A4 are 210x297 millimeter.
International standard ISO 216
I get this sheet on Hershey Flee Market nearly 30 years ago.
Best regards
Arvid
http://www.chevroletnorge.com

Will save that one!

OK, now I am confused.
Those numbers don't really tie in with my 27 Chev. Mine is a seven-digit number: R3442994. Was the R added for Australian imports perhaps?? And maybe an extra digit?
The sheet Bluezone posted also states 'cast' numbers. The engine number on mine is stamped not cast. The only cast number I see is on the upper part of the block near the exhaust port and it's 846709 with E257 above it.
What's goin' on?

Funny thing is that this is the first time I have seen a sheet with the number of my 28 engine on it. The usual lists have different numbers. David Hayward had a stack of information but it appears to have died with him. There are of course different numbers depending upon whether the parts came out of the USA or Canada. Stamped numbers are just too hard to figure in Australia.

Don't know if this pic will post, but here's my 1927 Chev.

Nice Chevrolet you have.
Here are how casting number shows on my -28 engine
Right side and behind the distributor
Made Januar 11 1928
The casting nummber on your engine E257 means May 25 1927

Aussie,
The R3442994 is the engine serial number for a "R" right hand drive. The casting number 846709 is for a '26-7 block and E 25 7 is the code for May 25 1927 when the block was cast.

beautiful 27

Hey Aussie, beautiful car and neat bridge, nice picture!

Chipper and Bluezone,
That interpretation of the casting number E257 being May 25 1927 is the best bit of information ever! That opens up a whole new avenue for research of our old Chev cars and trucks.
I just had a look at a Chev engine in my yard and it has A 6 8 cast on the block. So I'm thinking January 6 1928. It has exposed pushrods though and I didn't think the '28 had them. It also has a stamped engine number starting with TR which I assume means Right Hand Drive Truck.
Anyway, great stuff. Thanks for the help.

Great post . great info !!

A manufacturing identification date code system was used by Chevrolet from the beginning. There were some minor changes over the years. For instance some years used two digits from the year instead of a single year digit. Some don't use the "I" in the month sequence. Others don't use the day of the month.

Those dates codes are used on engines (blocks, heads, manifolds), transmissions, rear ends, radiators, speedometers, voltage regulators, and other parts. I am sure I am forgetting several and they will be filled in by others. They can be a big help in identifying the correct parts for restorations or verify them for original vehicles.

Just remember that the final digit can be from a decade before or after what is thought. Often the casting number or other characteristics can be used to verify the decade. Also remember that replacement parts might have been produced in later years.

The "TR" engine number prefix denotes the engine is definitely out of a truck,but being a truck engine it would have the full skirt cast iron pistons which most '27's used which had a lower compression height than the aluminium Invar strut pistons used in the '28 passenger cars.Though there is no reason you can't use them(the aluminium Invar strut pistons)in earlier engines.