My head is casting number 2136477. That head is designed to be used with domed pistons. If you use flat pistons, you would have very low compression ratio, probably so low the engine wouldn't run. The casting number is shown on the first attached picture. It is on the top surface of the head, above where the #4/#5 exhaust port exits the head.
The casting date of my head is F 16 2 as shown in the second attachment below. The F decodes as June (A = January, B = February, etc.) with the last character being the year, a 2 in my case. The one or two digits between the first and last are the day of the month. No 228 engines were made before 1939 and none after 1953. Also, none made during the WW II years, so no 1942. So my head was cast on June 16, 1952. Casting date for the head is on the top surface of the head, above where the #2/#3 exhaust port exits the head.
As Jerry said above, using a block with domed pistons and a head designed for flat pistons will result in pistons and valves trying to occupy the same space and really ugly noises.
My engine casting number is 6107326 as shown in the 3rd attached picture. It is on the driver's side of the engine block, about an inch above the oil pan and partially hiding behind the exhaust pipe. I couldn't find my block casting date without getting dirty right before supper time.
Another interesting number is the engine serial number. It is stamped on a machined pad just to the rear of where the distributor plugs into the block. Mine is shown in the 4th attachment. A leading alphabetic character may or may not be there. The next 3 digits are the engine size, 228, 236, 248, 256, 270 or 302. The final digits are the sequential serial number.
The alphabetic character (the book calls it a suffix, but I've only ever seen it as a prefix) signifies slight machining differences on this particular engine during manufacturing. The fifth attachment below is the magic decoder ring. The "B" prefix on my engine signifies that it left the factory with a 0.005" overbore (and pistons) and standard main and rod journals.
Last edited by Bill Hanlon; 07/16/202512:01 AM.
'57 GMC 102, Original 347 V8, HydraMatic, 3.08 rear gear, added A/C, disk front brakes, HEI, AFB carb, '98 Honda Black Currant paint. T-boned and totaled 10/12 '52 GMC 152 Stake Bed, Original 228, SM420, added A/C, HEI, disk front brakes, '67 Chev 3.55 rear gear. Gets used as a real truck.
