The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Engine #'s what do they mean?

Hey guys I am trying to decipher the numbers on my engine in my 56 truck. With the help of inliners.org I figured out my head is for a 235 (like the truck is supposed to have) casting # of 3836848. The engine block I'm a little confused. The block has 3837004 on it, the only thing listed on inliners is 3838004, which would be right on the money for my year truck. I've checked it 3 times to be sure, it does have a 7. Last, the numbers on the 'pad' by the distributor where can I find info on what these numbers tell? The numbers I have are 0505323F56X. Also, how do I go about finding if this is the original motor installed at the factory? Thanks guys

0505323 = production serial number F56X = Flint plant produced 1956 235 w/ X trans [not sure which] - don't worry about the head casting number, there were various ones - wether it was installed by the factory or replaced w/ a correct one at some time is always a guess - no "numbers matching" in those days, except for dates

Bill

Rich,

I think the Inliners chart you looked at had a typo. They have another chart here that shows the 3837004 as a '55-'57 235. I found two other sites that agree.

The X suffix is for the regular production Thriftmaster 235 used in the 3100 and 3200 series trucks (w/ 3-speed).

Thanks for the replies. My last question is in regards to the engine paint color. I thought Chevy 6's were blue and GMC were redish orange. The motor in my truck which was confirmed a 235, is painted a reddish orange not blue. Did Chevy change the paint color on the task force trucks?

Chev orange was a V8 color - some po repainted it, or a rebuilder did - everybody thinks all Chev engines should be orange, but the 235 was gray [yours], green [bigger trucks], or blue [car]

Bill