The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Truck numbers! Help identifying please

Finally got the actual numbers off my truck!

I'm new to this, but they dont seem to match the sequence of numbers i see in decoders.

help please? some pics to follow once i upload them

Body SN: X53T 025768
head: 16B 913
241
570
engine: 0154717T5 first may be a c or d? pretty sure its a zero.

Thanks in advance. Very Excited!
Tj

Body SN: X53T 025768
X53T
X = 2 ton (6500, if 1954)
53 = 1953
T = Tarrytown, NY
025768 = 24768th truck built in Tarrytown

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engine:0154717T5 first may be a c or d? pretty sure its a zero.

I thought this engine had an LEA prefix in the engine serial number ("I'll check on the engine number. Its not at my house. Any chance It could be LEA758135 or B777198 or CLP923? just some numbers i wrote down...")?

That code would be in 1953: prefix letters (year/type-model/plant), followed by sequence number.

In 1954, the engine serial number had a different format, one like yours (but, yours look incomplete): sequence number, followed by plant/year/type-model code.

0154717 = sequence number = 153717th of the line
T = Tonawanda, NY engine plant
5 = year?

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Head date casting code (I presume)
16B 913

16B = ?

9 = September?
1 = 1st?
3 = 53?

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How about posting the other codes: casting codes for head and block and date casting code for block?

As you have guessed already, you have an interesting truck.

Maybe you have an early 1954-model truck, that was actually produced in 1953?

The lea no was off another document and not the actual truck. Someone must have changed engines I guess

OK, post the other casting codes and maybe we can figure out what you have.

Will do. I'll have to look up where they are

The locations of the casting codes are shown at the link in one of my earlier messages.

thanks. what is incomplete about the engine code? did i miss digits off the beginning or end? not sure there was any more room on the pad, but if i had to guess maybe i missed something off the end?

Definitely a 2 ton? I'll have to look but I think other things like wheel size/springs and frame height don't match that.

Tj

If you are near the engine, find the casting codes (as shown at the link above) and post them here. That information might help in trying to figure out this out.

A 1954 engine serial number has the format shown on this page.

The suffix would be something like T54P (for a 1954 truck engine). The last letter would indicate the model.

So what you're saying is i missed the exact digits that actually tell me anything! ha!

And the missing digits are...
4X. So engine is T54X
Head Is 3835913 and gm 14

That is a 54/55 235 head.

Did you check again for the head and block date casting codes?

block i couldn't make out. seemed like i couldn't contort my head in a good way to see it.
head- i didn't want to pull the valve cover before cleaning the surrounding area to keep junk out of the head and time didnt allow for that.

any of these numbers point toward 235 vs 261?

i thought i could feel captains bars but maybe wishful thinking...

OK... how about some deductive reasoning....

t54x means it was from a 3100 series truck. I can't find any 3100 series with a standard or optional 261 so therefore its highly likely to be a 235.

agreed?

T54X indicates a standard 235 engine assembled in Tonawanda NY and originally installed on a 1/2 ton 1954 Chevrolet truck

That's what i figured... was holding out hope for a 261 with everything else mismatched but i guess it wasn't meant to be...

Some other dimensions:
wheelbase: 137"

rear springs: 9 main x 2 spacers x 5 auxiliary 2" wide.
frame: ~7" tall x 2.75" wide behind cab.
wheels/tires: 7x18 8 ply tires. 18"multi piece dual wheels.

so....
1 ton frame
2 ton cab
1/2 ton engine

????

finding more and more bondo....

The frame matches a 1 ton and spring width as well but i don't know why it would have so many auxiliary springs...

the differences in rear spring packs was the main variable that set the GVW, along with wheel/tire combinations, a 1T could have a GVW from 6200-8800, check the shop manual or glovebox manual specs .... and there is no such thing as a "2 ton cab", the cabs didn't change from 1/2T up, it's the complete chassis [not just the frame] that determines the model designation, again check the manuals

Bill

Sorry for confusion. I meant a cab from a 2-ton ( based on serial #). Not a 2 ton cab.

I only see one 1-ton version in the manual that has auxiliaries at all and its 8 x 3. Are you saying that they document/chart doesn't really show all combos?

There were a few combinations of springs, tires, and wheels available with 1-ton trucks in 1954. Each combination would result in a different GVW.

http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com/chevyresto/54077.htm

http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com/chevyresto/54160.htm

That's my point. 9 main and 5 auxiliary doesn't match any combo I can find.

Do you count the leaf that has the mounting loops at the end as a spring? Im assuming yes, but even if not, with 8 main and 5 aux. it STILL doesn't seem to match anything!

Tj

Finally got the date code off my head! its CON13 i think ( maybe GON13?)
so whats it mean pretty please???

lots more condition pics coming tonight. moved the seat off and found bunches of crud! floor is actually slightly better than i thought... doors and jambs are worse ...

found a 53 cab delivered for under $1000 ... might consider it.. wish it was a 54.

Tj

That means Conveyor #13

That is not the head date casting code. Check again the location shown and described in the first link I gave above.

Dang it! Hopefully i can get it tomorrow. otherwise it will probably be another week....

i took some pics to the right of the distributor and i could swear there was no number there...

there was one between the dist. hole and oil dipstick tube... it looked like an upside down 16. reason i say that and not 91 is the shape of the top of the one and loop of the 6.

119 pics coming soon! ok i may leave some out....

found a banner from Ryder in the back too. rough shape at one end. says "safety is my responsibility"
also an old license plate in rough shape and some oil... utoh! hope it wasn't burning it.... lol

Got the next piece of the puzzle....

date code on the head is....B94

help?

feb. 9th of 54?

I"ll look back at the link that explains it... Any comments about what this may mean about my truck?

just pulled front clip and it turns out y engine is T54XB. the B was after some space and stamped really light. maybe its the original engine from a 3800 after all!

Tj

A 235 engine from Tonawanda, NY, first placed in a 1954 3800 that had a 4-speed transmission.

That matches my truck! (the frame anyway) cab serial number seems to be from a 2 ton...