VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1933-1936 Engine identification

I have a 36 Standard project and I need some help identifying the motor. The only numbers I can find are casting numbers. On the passenger side behind the distributor is cast:
GM
838101
8
On the flywheel cover facing the engine is:
838475
1
The name plate is Style No. 36-1211-Z, Body No. N 18489, Trim No. 50, Paint 202

I gussing it may not be the orginal motor since it is painted blue.
Appreciate any help.

Casting number 838101 checks out as a 1937 4-main 216.

The plate is the Fisher Body plate.It identifies the body.Reads as follows-

36-1211-Z is a 1936 2 door with trunk (Town Sedan)...The Z indiactes its a later Standard model with all steel doors.(GOOD)...The early models had the wood rienforced dooors.They were heavy and tended to sag on the 2 door cars. (Master DeLuxe never had steel doors)

Body #N-18489 = body made in Norwood,Ohio Fisher body plant.The following number is a production sequence number ...Car would have been assembled in Norwiood also.

Trim#50 + brown mohair interior(had a slight chevron pattern)...no other option for the Standard..

Paint #202 = Taupe Metallic...A medium dark gray/brown metallic color.The pressed raised side body moulding would be black with a silver stripe.Wheels on a Standard would be black with silver stripes.

The 1937 engine is a completely different engine than the 1936....was it installed in the car?The 1936 engine will have an 836010 casting number.The oil filler and dip stick will be on the left (drivers) side.

Thanks a lot guys.
Yes the engine was installed in the car, but not correctly. It was mounted back about 2". Any explaination why that would have been done?

The 1937 engine is about 1 1/2" shorter than a 1936..possible reason?

Gene, I noticed you must have a code reader for the cowl tags on the Chevy cars. My engine casting # is 6510572. That is the # on the small flat area behind the distributor. The block# is 836010-3. I believe that is a 1936 engine. The cowl tag reads:

Style# 36-1017
body# J 3619
trim# 53
paint# 196

Could you please decipher this for me? I'm trying to figure out if this IS the original engine for my '36 Master.
Thanks, Dave

6510572 is not your engine casting number....that is your engine "serial" number. At any rate, 6510572 is a 1936 engine serial number.

836010 is the block casting number and that also indicates that your engine block is a 1936.

:cool2: :) :grin:

36-1017 = 1936 Master DeLuxe 5 window (business) coupe
J 3619 = body made at Fisher body plant in Janesville.Wi...car would have been assembled in Janesville also and the first two numbers of the serial will be 21 indicating that,next will be the letters FA for Master and next diget will indicate month assembled.
#53 is the interior trim -(upholstery)-tan mohair
#196 is black with cream stripe.The coupe originally had wire wheels that could be painted black,red or cream.Some models had artillary steel wheels.

The 6510572 engine number places the engine production date later in the year as the numbers ran from 5500179 thru 6784512.The serial number is under the floor mat,front floor, right side next to door opening.It will indicate the month car made and my guess would be about June.
Cars assembled in Janesville were usually sold by dealers in Wis,Ill,Minn,Iowa,S and N. Dak and Montana.

Why does my last reply show on everything but the "forum list"??????

Your last reply shows on my Forum List.

:grin: :grin: :grin:

Thank you so much for that information Gene and Junkyard dog. You were right on the June production date, the serial # is: 21FAO646000 which I would guess that the coupe was the 46,000 coupe off the assembly line if logic would serve me correct. I would also guess by all the information that the engine IS original to the car. I found writing on the back of the head that said: "NOS 35 G28 & 36". It was painted on like a wrecking yard notation, so I think its possible that the head was switched at some point. I was also told that the coupe was purchased new in Seattle, WA. Thanks again for the valued information.

Dave

I believe that the car serial numbers started at 1,001 so your car would be the 45,000th car built that year in the Janesville factory.

:cool2: :grin:

The head could be a USED from 1935 or 1936 .The casting number would determine that. Its under the valve cover on top of the head.The 1936 head would be 837987 and the 1935 Master had a different number that I don't have handy right now.Eventually the 1936 head was sold as a replacement for the 1935....There were improvements to the 1936 combustion chamber as well as a higher compression ratio.
Its common to find different heads on this engines as the heads were prone to carcking - especially so if cold water was added to a hot engine.
I kinda doubt if the car was sold new in Washington as most of their cars came out of Oakland,Ca.

There were 3 different heads used in 1935. An early head that used all the same length head bolts and the slotted valve spring keepers p/n 837852. The Fleet enconomy head with U shaped valve spring keepers p/n 837922 (identified with a cast F above the #1 exhaust port). The later head p/n 601478 with short & long head bolts and U shaped keepers. All these heads were discontinued when the 36 engine came out. The 36 head was p/n 601988 casting # 837981.

I believe just the Standards had the long bolt heads which was basicly a 1934 head.

I believe your right on the standard head since it used the smaller exhaust valve head diameter.

I have a Bulletin dated 4-4-35 (S-M #28 Zone 14) that indicates the new head (long & short bolt) was installed on Master cars starting with serial number 4783317, on Standard cars starting with M4862180 (exc. M4863801 thru M4864097) and on Trucks from T4860723. So this leads me to believe the all long bolt head was used on ALL models, not just the Standards.

Mike B :)

The early 35 long bolt cylinder head used the same intake and exaust valves with rectangler keys and 45 degree seats as the 34 Master head. The later 35 & 36 head used the U shaped keeper key & 30 degree valve seats on both intake & exhaust in all the long / short bolts heads. The early head used the master 34 valves with larger dia than the 34 Standaed as I previously stated incorrectly

Is a 1936 Chevy pickup engine the same as a 1936 Chevrolet passenger car?

In 1936 the car and truck engines were the same.The only minor difference is that the insulator between the carburetor and intake manifold on the truck contained a restrictor to limit the high speed engine power.This was done to discourage over reving the engine thru the gears.