The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Block Casting Number Location???

Hey, guys:

I have been trying to find the casting numbers on my block to identify this engine... for all intensive purposes it has all the characteristics of a 261. It is green, has 4 bolts holding the valvecover down, has the 2 captains bars on the right side just above the starter.. can't see the one on the left side since a bunch of stuff is in the way on that side???? And then the head casting is 3836850 which matches up to what Inliners says. And someone even privately emailed me to tell me where to go find it and i can't even find it there.. (above the starter forward towards the distributor..) but all I can see there is an "H" and nothing else.. any other ideas.. The truck is a 54 Chevy 6100..

Can't imagine I have to pull the starter to find it or do you have to wait till you pull the motor?? LOL

thanks guys

Kitty Wells
57Heaven

Hy Kity if it has the "Catains bars" it is definately a 261 now we just have to figure out which year it is, does it have a set of engine mount holes on either side of the block about 10 inches from the front of the block, they form a triangular pattern.

Well, I did go back out and look for those casting number on the block above the starter just before the dist and there appears to be a flat place where they might have been appears that maybe somebody may have "ground" them off at one time since it appears to have grinder marks where the numbers should have been.. why would somebody do that do you think???

I did go out and look for the triangular pattern engine mount holes.. they look like just bolt heads and are located just foreward and below the dist. One would think they are a triangular pattern as there are two on top and one below...the lower one appears to be in line with the upper right one of that upper pair.. sound bout right???

Kitty

57Heaven,

The "Captain Bars" are not a conclusive indicator that you have a 261, especially in 1954. Here is an extract from Jim Carter's Tech Article on the 261 (it has numbers and locations - the '54 location is different from other years):

"When you have found what you suspect might be a 261, check a few specifics to verify you have the real thing and not the visual almost identical 235. Casting numbers, not stamped numbers, on the 261 head are very visible beside the rocker arm cover. A different set of numbers relate to the 261 block. These seven digits are located on the right side between the fuel pump and starter except for 1954 where it is located forward of the fuel pump. See chart below.

Chart/Table with codes (from Jim Carter\'s site.

Watch for the "Captain's Bars!" The 261 has two pairs of parallel raised 3/4 inch long bars cast in the block. This is not seen on a 235 except 1954. One pair is above the starter and the second pair is at the top middle of the left side of the block very close to the head. See photos below. The one exception is the early 261 produced in 1954 to mid 1955. It has only one "Captain Bar" above the starter but keeps the pair on the left side."

Tim

Well, guys I have been all over this motor but under it to find that casted block number? Tell me do you have to pull the starter to get at it?? There is nothing between the starter and the fuel pump as inliners says nor is there anything forward of the fuel pump (on the block) if it were a 54 261??? I am miffed? I have the pair of captains bars on the left hand side, it even has the external flow thru filter.. does that mean anything???? Your help is most appreciate.

As a side there are what appears to be a combo of letter and numbers directly beside the starter casted in the block.. two combinations of letters and numbers.. hard to ascertain but looks like GON or CON then there is an H233 or H265.. any of this make any sense??? Without that starter removed is real hard to tell. Also, what color green is the 261 block?? I mean this engine paint looks original but this is by no means a drab green...

Thanks
K. Wells
57Heaven

What about the VIN number? Can you look that up to find out what the origin of the motor is? That might tell you or at least narrow it down.

I own two 261s both have the captains bars, also have a 1953 235 Passenger car 235 from the powerglide equiped car, it has two captains bars identical to the 261s. Have also read of 261s with a single bar or now bars at all. Casting number should be below the fuel pump and just above the pan lip, usually packed in crud and must be dug out to read.

My 55 first series 261 is as follows- original green paint, high water pump like the old 216s, has the motor mount bosses on the sides like the passenger car motor but not drilled out.

Look for the engine serial number, stamped on a pad to the rear of the distributor. The serial number suffix will tell exactly what the engine is.

Hey, guys:

Thanks for the help. Well the vin number for this vehicle is weird..least in my opinion.
It starts with LEA.. which doens't seem to make sense with much I have read about so far with VIN number? That's what's on the title since the ID tag is gone.. rusted away with the lower door pillar.

There is no number beside the dist.. someone ground that off? I did run across of a guy restoring a 6400 flat bed and had a pic of his motor pulled out and you could clearly see the block casting number in the triangle of engine mount holes that 3B talked about a few days ago.. so going to see if I can get a flashlight out and see them from there.

I too read the info on the captains bars on 1954 235 but then were those engines painted green? According to Inliners the 261 early models were green and later yellow.. the 235's are gray and the 216's black (is that correct)???

I am looking at a 1953 firetruck for the cab and fenders and the motor in it is black, a 216 and says thriftmaster on the side.

SO, will keep you posted what I find on this engine if I don't have to pull the motor it to get the numbers...LOL

57Heaven

These trucks do not have a "VIN". VINs started in the '80s. These old trucks have engine numbers and they have cab numbers. Some states titled them by the engine number and some titled them by the cab number.

57Heaven, the LEA number on your title would be the number of the original engine. The engine with a blank number plate is a replacement engine. It still will have a casting number on it somewhere. There are at least 3 different places the casting numbers were placed on different engines.

As far as colors go, a replaced engine could be any color.

that head number is for a 261 head , just went through that to identify a 261.....

57 Heaven,

I also have a 54 2 ton with a 261. My casting number was right under the fuel pump and above the oil pan as JiMerit said. It's a bear to read because you have to look through the fender well and frame. Good Luck.

Alright J.K. Evicks I will try that in the am..and Fatweed is correct in the block number and if that is an indicator that it is a 261.

I did try today with an inspection mirror and a flashlight to see those block casting numbers where EB said they should be but there is nothing there (think I noted before the stamping there next to the dist is ground off and gone) and I don't know if that is because this may be an early model or what? Will let you know what I discover tomorrow and can hopefully then put this one to bed!!!

Thanks
57 Heaven

As Cletis mentioned, the LEA on the title would be the prefix of an engine serial number. However, LEA is a prefix for a '53 6000 series 235 truck engine, not a '54 235 or 261. The engine serial number format changed in '54, and used suffixes instead of prefixes.

Check this picture for a possible location of the casting number.

Okay, Xram53...I checked out your photo you attached and I am going to try your idea in the morning.. that is about the only location I haven't been able to check or thought to check it seems i have been everywhere I can on this motor with an inspection mirror and a flashlight and have all but given up and figured we would find out someday when we pull the cab and front clip off to replace..LOL

The only reason we suspect this motor may have been changed is, the original owner owned a wrecking yard and garage and we figure motors may have been pretty plentiful to them and they may have changed the motor out from the original 235??? Not certain of course.. just a hunch. Will keep you posted and thanks for the feeback.

Kitty Wells
57 Heaven

THANK YOU!!! Xram53. After getting your photo and info WE finally found thee block casting number right where you said it was. The casting number is 3703414 and according to inliners it is a 54-55 261 engine. So, guesss that is a good thing and matches up to the head casting numbers we had located earlier. So, guess this post can now get put to bed. Who does that??? Do I do that or the mediator???

THanks for all your help.. everyone who reponded. I knew if anyone could help us find it it would be you guys!

57Heaven