The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Got my serial #'s ! Anybody got the know how?

Well, Recently I got very interested in finding out "exactly" what I have as far as parts for my rod. Primarily, drivetrane wise. So, I busted out the scraper, brakeklean, rags and went to work. After about 30 min. of mud and rust busting....This is what Ive got: (Pics to follow each # come tue. this coming week.)

Cyl. Block Stamped # : FI004A
Cyl. Block Casting # : CON4 I286
Cyl. Head Casting # : Top Side: 383 5913 GM14
Cyl. Head Casting # : Pass. Side: 15B 913 241 570
Intake Manifold Casting # : 3836922 GM
Transmission Casting # : GM 25 047 370 7195

So theres what I got, but...what do I got?

Can you get the casting date from over the starter? That will pin the year for sure. But here's what I have; It's a '57-'60 passenger car 235, manual trans, Flint plant. There is a possibility that it may be up to a '62, my bokk does not go up past '60 on passenger cars as it is primarily a truck guide. Only covers passenger cars due to the Sedan Delivery/El Camino.

LONGBOX55- The casting # I listed as "Cyl Block Casting #"
is the casting # above the starter. Did I write it wrong?

Ok, well, since I have no clue on how to find this info, i am forced to rely on help. Though I am still searching. But, I bought this drivtrane sitting between the framerails of a truck. Now naturally it is not so hard to believe that along the way somebody transplated the motor from a car into the truck, but my question is: Is there any difference between a car 235 and a truck 235?

Could it be that the "CONV 4 1286" might actually be an "I"? That would work out to an Oct. 28, 1956 date, which would be a '57 model year engine. As far as dufferences, I think that the passenger engine had a slightly higher compresion ratio, and a different cam grind (most likely hydraulic). Other than that, they're pretty much the same. As far as to why it got changed. I'll bet the original engine got lunched, and they just used whatever they could find to replace it with the least amout of $$$ and work involved. This wouldn't be so noticable in a Chevy truck, as the engines are so similar, but a GMC used a completely different engine.

The head casting of 3835913 is used on 54/55 235 heads.

The block casting is, I think, just above/behind the upper right of the starter (7 digits).

There are only slight differences between the car and truck engines for any given year: some differences in some years were: motor mount locations, hydraulic lifters (used on cars in some years - all years after 1956) vs mechanical lifters (all truck 235 used mechanical lifters), clutch housings, valve covers, style of vacuum advance mechanism on the distributor, engine color, air cleaners.

Many of the external and internal parts that differed between cars and trucks over the years (and in any given year) could be used on car and truck engines over a variety of years - making the casting numbers a good identifier (unless the same number is found on both a car and a truck).

Tim

The engine ID that is pressed into the block, just to rear of the distributor, FI004A, might have been used between 1957-1960 on 235s installed in sedan deliveries (other people will have to confirm/correct this - I'm not at all sure):

F = built in Flint, MI
10 = 10th month of the year = October
04 = fourth day of the month
A = sedan delivery

LONGBOX55
I just checked my picture of the block casting #, It looks like this:

-CON4/ *I286

Guess you were right!

I have to make a correction, the casting date would be Sept. 28, not Oct.

LONGBOX55
So Being an i not a 1, you think 57 year......235? Full pressure oiler? Does the head # suggest the same? And if the stamp # suggests Sedan delivery, was there anything unique about those motors to help identify it for sure? And one last, to order a complete overhaul kit for this motor, I can use a generic 57 235 as a reference?

Yes, it will be a full pressure engine. I can't think of anything necessarily unique about the engine itself, other than the hydraulic cam and some of the things Tim mentioned. As far as an overhaul kit, they'll be same.
The head was the same, but the # points to the head not being original to the block. Pehaps it was replaced at some point due to warpage/cracking of the original.

Thankx for the help guys.

So, Ive got a Sept. 28 1957 235ci with a 1955 235 head.

Hey 57Rat,

I think they said your date code is year 1956. And engines made late in the year (1956) were usually put in the next year (1957) vehicles.

Date Code:

I286 is
Letter I(9) = September
28 = day
6 = 1956

Try to get that other casting number on the block. It's over there by the starter, near the same area as your CON4 number.

Under all that greasey oil dirt stuff should be something like 3837004 or 3836233. Gotta watch those 3's & 8's they like to hold the dirt.