The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop 1949 235 ID

I am trying to get a bit more detail of what engine I actually have. Here is what I believe to be based on info I gathered so far.
- Conv 4 A209 - Came down conveyor #4 on January 20, 1949
- Block casting # 3835309 - 235 CI manufactured between 1942-1949 (above the casting # is a larger GM and a circle with the numbers 48 inside... any meaning?)
- The coil is mounted between #3 & 4 cylinders which would be correct for 1949
- What I am unable to decipher is the distributor deck numbers. It reads as "A 854 bb" near as I can tell. I thought that "A" should have been an "F" or possibly a "T", and if the next digits represent a date they don't make sense. 8 would be August but the 54 don't seem to fit and bb should be the vehicle type but I found nothing with that info.
I would like to discover the roots of this engine in order to properly order any needed parts. I may have what I need, but I know there is more to know about it. Any help is greatly appreciated.

The engine is currently in my 1940 1/2 ton

The Engine Serial Number that was stamped into the block in the ledge in the block (to the rear of) the distributor can be ground-away and changed to a new number. This was commonly illegally done in order to get a used vehicle registered.

Look at this page for location of casting codes on high-pressure USA engines.

Find and post here:
- Head casting code
- Head date casting code
- Block casting code
- Block date casting code

My observation is that 1948 and 1949 engines had a circle with 48 in the center. 1950 had the circle with nothing in the middle.

Good to know - thanks Dave. It sounds like you have seen more than one of these stove bolts. :-) This is not my first but the other was a 1964 GMC I drove when I was in high school. I kept it running but never had the need to get into the weeds with numbers. Do you know of any site I could garner the information on the distributor deck stamping? Like I stated, the "A" does not seem to fit and the numbers don't properly represent a date. The "bb" should be the type of vehicle it was originally installed in, but I have been unsuccessful in finding a list of those codes either.

I wonder if this Tech Tip will help. It is entitled: Identifying the 216 / 235 / 261 , Quick and easy 216, 235, 261 spotting by the late Barry Weeks, and Jim Merritt.

If you post the codes designated in my post above, we can ID your engine (if it is a USA Chevrolet high/full-pressure 235/261 engine).

Also, post the Engine Serial Number (pressed/stamped into the block behind the distributor.

This can be changed (illegally), but, we can decode what you have in that location.

Thanks tc - I have the block numbers but will need to look at the head numbers. The numbers I have make sense and tell me it is a 235 from 1949, which I would believe.
Block date code = A209
Block casting code = 3835309
Distributor deck code = A854bb (this is the puzzler that makes no sense to me)

Post a picture of the stamped serial number...

Mike B

Here are a couple of pics

You need to scrape the paint off the serial number pad to reveal the letters in front of the 'A'.

The 'bb' are number sixes...so you have a partial code/serial number of 'A85466".

xx = missing info that would tell the year and model it came in.
A = Flint Engine Plant
85466 = Unit number starting with 1001, so you have the 84,466th engine built in Flint for that model year.

Mike B

Thanks Mike. I will do that tomorrow to reveal the missing info. I guess I was incorrect in my thought that those letters and numbers were supposed to start with one letter, then the date code and the last letters would identify what vehicle it came in. Seriously beloved those could not be sixes. Ha ha. I appreciate your help. I am anxious now to find out what it came in originally.

You might be thinking about the chassis serial number which are in a different format than the engine serial number/code...your 1940 1/2 ton chassis number would look something like this,

5KC04 12345

Number/s = Plant (5 = Kansas City)
Letter = Year/Model (KC = 1940 1/2 ton)
Numbers or letters = Month (04 = April), Note, some years used letters to ID the month.
12345 = unit number normally starting with 1001

Mike B

Thanks Mike - you have enlightened me. Attached is the complete serial number. GEA 85466- I have not dug into any vehicle numbers like I have with getting into this old of a vehicle. I now know I was foolish for not starting with this group. Luv you guys. I was gathering my info via google and apparently was not understanding what I was reading in the sites I clicked on. Now knowing that full number, what vehicle was this motor originally installed in is my question.

You have a 1949 235 that came in the 6000 Series trucks...this was the big engine back then!

Mike B