VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - GENERAL Tech Talk Casting Numbers

The 235 head will fit from 1953 thru 1962.There were up-grades thru the years and minor changes though.If you purchased a new head for a 1953 in 1963 you got a 1962 head with a bushing for the temp. sender so the original gauge could be used.
The "848" head was used from 1956 thru 1962 in production and had two different compression ratios thru those years.8.00 to 1 in 1956-57, and 8.25 for 1958-62.
The dipper and the full pressure 235 engine used the same heads in 1953.The higher compression ratio (7.5) for the P.G. engine was due to the slightly higher pistons which came up even to the top of the block.The "53 P.G and later 235 aluminum pistons can be used in a 1941-53 235 giving a .4 compression ratio increase.

The 216 style (wide pulley) water pump indicates that it may have been from a truck, along with the solid lifters.The water pump should have had the little by-pass hole on the back plate although a earlier w/pump can be installed.All 1953-54 blocks had the motor mount side pads, car or truck.

Thanks "Nut" this helps

I found it interesting that the block of this motor had a blank # pad near the distributor.
http://members.cox.net/mothertruckeraz/bus3.JPG

MT, I have the same situation in my 53 belAire sedan the casting numbers show it to be cast in 1956, but it has a blank engine number pad, like yours and also a 54 type water pump, and solid lifters. I haven't torn it down, it runs too good, no smoke, don't use any oil and every cylinder shows 155 to 160 pounds on a compression test. It probably will out last me at 500 miles a year. I have replaced the water pump and it is stock 1954.

Back in the late '70s I bought a NOS factory short block - 216 for my '48. It had a blank pad in the same location as the engine above. It was a correct block for a '48 -'49 with the number 48 in the cast
circle near the fuel pump. I was told that was done so that the original engine number could be stamped on the blank pad.. Some states registered the car
with the engine number and that relieved the customer of having to change his title..

Is there a moderator (or somebody) around who can change that photo so that this post can be read without making the reader think they're at a tennis match???

Back in the 30's replacement crate engines were not stamped either. The dealer was suppost to transfer the old number since most car/trucks were titled with the engine number. I have a new 36 short block that was bought out of parts with no serial # the block was cast in 1938.

As I remember it from the '50's a new block,we called them short blocks,had crank,pistons,rods,etc. or a bare block ( no internal parts) came with no number and the old number was transfered (stamped in).If a complete engine was installed the number was stamped at the factory as the engine came off the line.The complete engine came with the flywheel housing,clutch,valve cover, spark plugs and was painted just as the engine that came in a new vehicle.Did not have generator,starter,carb., fuel pump,etc.

Short and bare blocks came out of the crate unpainted.

I installed a bare block in my'39 years back.It has the correct casting number for a '39, has a cast date of 1946,and I have no record of what the old engine number was so the area is blank.I threw out the old cracked block and never recorded the number.The car is titled by the serial number..

Thanks Mothertrucker, for your help on the oversize picture.

No doubt Mike McCagh can 'discuss' this better than I; but as I understand it this would be a big problem in NCRS. Also the idea of a "C" block, a replacement block.

It does seem like sometimes the whole 'judging thing' can be 'too technical.' And yet, why not have to have it 'right' if you're in the judging?? That's why it's so difficult to understand this nutsy idea about 'any' engine is OK, as long as it's the 'right size.' Man, that does seem like a real stretch - in the judging process.

I wonder what 'those folks' were thinking about??????

On the other hand, with a 'tour-type' car it can actually make sense. For instance a later 235 in a car like my 54. Better engine, more performance with the '848' head, etc. But NOT for a 'judged' car. That just isn't right!

And, THANKS for 'adjusting' the picture. Much better!!!

Bill.

Just a quick reminder that Tech Talk is to remain strictly technical, unlike the other threads. We ask your cooperation.

Maybe somebody on this forem can put together a petition to request a change in the engine judging to go back to the correct year engine in the same year vehicle. A 36 engine just shouldn't be allowed in a 34 vehicle if trying to preserve a stock vehicle.

Hi 35 pickup man,

Please note the above post and the instructions at the start of this thread. Please move the discussion on judging to the judging thread.

Yes boss it's been moved. Sometimes you can stop when the topic is hot!

THANKS!

A more accurate list of block casting numbers is at <http://home.znet.com/c1937/Cast.htm>.

An error that should be noted: Engine block Casting number #838710, is 1938 only, not 37. #838101 is 37 only. Outside the 37 in the only engine to have the serial number by the fuel pump and oil filler in right side. The 38 has serial number by Ignition Distributor. Inside the 37 has a place for lifter springs that weren't used on 38s. .
. For a more accurate list of casting numbers, see < http://home.znet.com/c1937/Cast.htm >.

Valuable to get a list of the casting numbers.

Why not open a special thread for Data plates/Identity inquiries as well and put the both under a new subject called Identification?

May be a list of the different factories (US/Can, and others) could be added as an extra thread under the same subject?

Or am I asking what already is written in the Chat somewhere?

A special category for data plates and ID numbers?

In other words, a registry containing all that and more, including trim and paint combination numbers. I thought it was a great idea and tried it about ten years ago. It never got official support from VCCA, so it was discontinued.

Dave, Erling,

Maybe the VCCA leadership changes will result in more appreciation for what can be done and not what has been done.

The VCCA membership has more knowledge of Chevolet history than all of GM combined. Think we also may now more about old Chevy construction, maintenance and authenticity that they do. It would be a crying shame if it was not preserved. Would also be a shame if it was not available for use by current VCCA members. Keep the faith, with all of us contributing it is possible.

I think that it is about time we at VCCA start applying the talent and knowledge of our members to sort the chaff from the grain and use it to compile a "VCCA Registry of Chevrolet Vehicles."
I have been lead asrtay a couple of times by trusting a website declareing that they had the correct casting numbers, Paint & Trim Codes.
Someone , or several someones,without bias toward what is actually accepted as correct data could compile the data and then it could be entered into a read only Thread,or web page maybe here on Teck Talk?
I would like to see several of our members start collecting the information and do interviews and querys like an author does when a technical article is being prepared for publication.
How many members do we have on the National Judging Committee? To me the VCCA Registry of Chevrolet Vehicles is just as important as the Judging Committee or any of the other standing committees. (IMHO)

As far as I have discovered, there are a lot of articles covering ID f.ex. the casting numbers,VIN codes, data tags, job numbers located to years, models and which factories.

I know much is known and free to all users on the web at the moment. May be I am thinking wrong, but I feel all that kind of future information, researched and sorted by our own members using numerous hours, should be collected and shown inside the members own pages. It should be a clear and outspoken advantage to be a VCCA member (compared to other Chevy enthusiasts)and the technical support and "parts for sale"ads are two main options, for sure.

I really hope for a database to arrive in short time, making it possible to give the members more advantages, and more members to join VCCA to get all those advantages too.

Solan, I agree that access to a secured and protected Database Membership and also a Chevrolet historical database should be a good incentive to join VCCA.

Keith Hardy's web site is a good example of what can be done to collect and display the documents related to our hobby.

I have a bell housing or clutch cover with cast number 836387. Do you know the year for this cover / housing??