Good-day, I'm hoping that the vast wisdom on this forum can provide some answers for me about my truck engine. My son and I have started working on a 1949 Chev 3100 that I originally bought when I was a kid, we're starting by rebuilding the engine and both myself and the owner of the engine shop are having some trouble narrowing down the exact engine I have. It's definitely not original for the truck, it has a 4 bolt valve cover and hydraulic lifters. The block casting number is 3837004 (which if my online research is correct tells me that it's made between 55-57), on the pad behind the distributor is stamped C270610, there is no date code or CON number on the block behind the starter. The problem we are having is ordering parts for it, even with the 55-57 range there are I believe 4 different kits available with slight differences in main/rod bearings, valves and oil pump. This is the engine that was in the truck when I bought it 20 years ago, and it came with a manual transmission (floor shift) - but with that year range and having hydraulic lifters I'm thinking that it was likely originally a car engine on a powerglide? I'm not sure if there are any differences in being able to bolt up a standard to an engine that was originally built with a PG that would give me some indication. Honestly in all my online research I haven't come across a single reference to an engine code with a 'C' prefix, ironically my engine builder has another customer's 235 in his shop right now and it's out of a 59' truck with a code of C414477 and he believes it's his original engine, it also doesn't have the date code castings on the block behind the starter. I am located in Alberta, Canada - does the C prefix indicate a Canadian built engine? Any help would be very appreciated, we're just getting this project off the ground and would like to keep some momentum going.
