The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Engine ID questions

Good morning. My son recently picked up a 235 that a gentlemen pulled from a 1953 Chevy truck. I've gone to numerous sites trying to decrypt the date/source of the engine. There are a few oddities that make me question my findings. The first is that the engine is currently orange. Obviously, someone may have painted it over the years. The second is the engine serial number stamped on the plate next to the distributor. It ends in a B. One source I found for this indicates a passenger car? But the code on the block indicated a truck. Here are the codes....

3769716 (1958-1962 truck)
CON4 L131 (Dec, 1961)
B54 848 850 (???)
GM16
FI214B <--- (Flint, Dec 14?....B???)
383648
GM23

I'm guessing it's out of a 1961 or 1962 truck. But the FI214B and orange color have me questioning that.

Thanks in advance!

Ron & Ryan,

An orange engine is a strong indicator that the engine has been rebuilt and then repainted, or, it has only been repainted.

If it is a replacement engine, the Engine Serial Number might not have been put on it in the factory/assembly-plant.

What are the head codes?

Thanks Tim. When you say, "if it was a replacement engine", you are indicating that it wasn't put in a vehicle on the assembly line and just "shelved" until needed?

I used "if" as a conjecture that might explain the odd code.
Just a guess.

Let's see what year the head is from?

F1214B; F Flint plant, 12 14, December 14th, B Regular Passenger 235 w/Powerglide.

Perhaps, it should be noted that the format that Bill decoded was used from 1957 onwards.

F - Flint, MI plant
12 = Dec
14 = 14th
B = 235 Passenger w/Powerglide (was this code used through 1962/63?)

(it should be noted that a Powerglide transmission was available as an option w/235 in some small trucks in the early 60s; I think its code was JB)?

Conveyor Belt Number at Foundry
CON4 = Conveyor 4

Engine Block Cast Date Code
L131
L = 12th letter in alphabet = 12th month in the year = December
13 = 13th day of the month = 13
1 = last digit of 1961
Date block was cast on, December 13th, 1961
This engine probably went into a 1962 year's model passenger car.

Block casting Number
3769716 = 1958-1962 235 cubic inch

Engine Serial Number
FI214B
F = Flint, Michigan - Engine assembly Plant
I2 = 12 = 12th month in the year = December (Sometime the letter I (eye) die stamp was used as the number 1 (one).
14 = 14th day of the month = 14
Engine assembled on, December 14th, 1961
1961, B = Regular, Powerglide transmission RPO 313 = Regular Production Option 313, Powerglide engines used Hydraulic lifters
1962, B = Regular engine, Powerglide, RPO 313

A high percentage that this engine was:
Cast in Flint Michigan on, December 13th, 1961
Assembled in Flint Michigan on, December 14th, 1961
Made as a straight six cylinder 235 cubic inch engine.
A Powerglide transmission was mated to it.
Has Hydraulic lifters.
Was installed into a 1962 model year passenger car.
Its painted orange.
1961 Passenger car GM Vehicle Information Kit or restoration pack.
1962 Passenger car GM Vehicle Information Kit or restoration pack.

Tim, I looked at every passenger car resto pack from 1950 to 1965. From 1957-1964 they use code B for RPO 313 Powerglide transmission.
1965 code is FM

Thanks for the correction, Jorb

What was the meaning of the truck code JB and JH, used on C10-20 with RPO 311? MA designated an 8-cylinder engine with the Powerglide, I think.

Tim, I meant to say,
I looked at every passenger car resto pack from 1950 to 1965.
I'll look at the truck resto's to see if I find anything. .

The 60-61 truck resto packs are where I found a reference to RPO 311, but no designation about what it referred-to.

http://www.1954advance-design.com/chev-specs/1960-t-ser.pdf
http://www.1954advance-design.com/chev-specs/1961-t-ser.pdf

The 1962 resto pack is where I found the RPO 311 referring to the truck 235 with Powerglide. But, no Engine Serial Number designations is in that resto pack.

JB was the truck 235 with Powerglide designation in at least 1961 and 1962:
http://www.1954advance-design.com/chev-specs/1962-t-ser-ID/

Thanks guys! I sounds like it was from a passenger car and that would explain the orange. I thought I had seen in a couple of places that the 3739716 was from a 1958-1962 truck....

60-61 Chev Trk


1958-1962 235 ci truck

Ron & Ryan,

The second link is from my website. I obtained that information from a variety of places - they could be incorrect.

Yes, that engine casting code was used from 58-62 on truck 235s; but/and, that code was used on both car and truck 235s in 61 & 62 (as shown on that webpage).

Tim,

I don't know if this helps:
The 1961 Chevrolet Truck resto pack from GM Heritage Center.
Shows on pdf page 10, Engine ID, JB and JH
JB, was stamped on engines in C 10-20 series trucks with RPO 311
JH, was stamped on engines in P 10 series trucks with RPO 311

Now go to pdf page 30, "Regular Production Options" page
It shows 311 Powerglide transmission, C 10-20, P 10

I think the Powerglide RPO number for the passenger car
were different than the Powerglide RPO number for the truck.
313 car
311 truck
I have even seen a 317 Powerglide RPO for early 50's passenger cars.
So it seems the Powerglide RPO number changed periodically depending on what the application was, truck, car, year.

I'm not sure, but I think this is what you were looking for.

Good info (as usual), jorb. Thanks.