The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop SBC (327) info

I can't find the suffix code for the 327 engine in my 1966 L60 on any of the typical sites. If anyone could be of assistance I would be grateful.

Engine # CE5N2561 S0115XTD (can't find XTD)
Casting # 3959512

Well, are both of these on the front passenger pad? In the VIN code, the CE is a Counter Engine or Crate Engine (warranty replacement). 5 could be 1965, N Norwood, Ohio. In the engine ID (if that is what it is) S is Saginaw Service, Jan 15 (no year). Do not find XTD, it is some special code for warranty engine. XTD seems to only appear on CE "service" engines. Casting= 62-63 327 2 bolt/250 HP. Look up the head symbol on the front ends of heads, head cast no would be interesting also. Most likely a mixture of parts and years to make a replacement engine. Happy New Year!

Holy cow Bart, breath buddy. Check the heads and reference the number. It's usually the easiest way. My 64 had a 327 what a sweet cruiser that was.

Oh, didn't know that checking the heads would tell you what XTD (suffix code) means? Or was that not the question? I thru in the other decipher just in case it helps anyone. No one else answered so I gave it my best. Are you flaming me or helping the poster? Not sure.

I don't flame. It's just a web site. But I think the heads will tell you if they're peanut or not. I was just kidding. I pictured you just typing in a flurry. Made me giggle. No harm meant. Happy new year all

the info will be on the block just in front of the passenger side cyl head. there are no eng suffix codes on the heads. as Bart says it may be a replacement eng and in a lot of instances it was cheaper to drop in along block rather than get the old one rebuilt,(downtime and the longevity of the rebuilt versus new). in mid duty trucks of those vintages if one got 125,000 mi. out of an eng, replace it. you would never seem to get another 125,000 out of a rebuild but new gave it to you.
your 64 had the 327 installed in it as a replacement eng, whether used or new
ron

The OEM engines I'm accustomed to dealing with had a single line of stamped letters and numbers about 1/4" tall on the machined pad ahead of the passenger's side head, and the "Target Master" and other new-manufacture replacement engines had two stamped lines of alpha-numeric code about 1/16" tall with no correlation to the published letter suffix codes.
Jerry

Bartamos is correct. In my experience the suffix code has always been the first 2 or 3 letters on the pad.
A 60's engine has 2 letters, 1970 on up has 3.

Im pretty sure ce means crate engine, the last 6 0r 8 didgits on the pad are always the last 6 0r 8 ov the vin, if it was installed on the assembly line.

I shipped a few months ago a 409 truck eng down to Arkansas and it had the latter letters on it and it was a replacement eng which is how I had to identify it to go through customs
ron

Some of this will state the obvious to many here, But, Just to get all the terms straight. On the pad there is a Engine ID code and sometimes a VIN code. In this case the engine has a sort of "VIN code" or CE code. Sources on the web say CE was "Chevrolet Engine" and they quote a GM bulletin dated 14 April, 1969, but don't show a copy of the bulletin. Supposedly partial VIN codes on engines were Federally mandated Jan1, 1968 and were stamped in various places.
The other number is the Engine ID code. An engine ID code has a Alpha Suffix Code on the end (of course) which gives the applications for that engine. In the case of the posters stamping, it seems the suffix was bastardized due to unknown future usage. There is no XTD or TD code (maybe XTB= To be Determined)
Next, the ports are holes on the side of the head. (intake and exhaust). Ports are sometimes called peanut, oval and square. These are not to be confused with valve size (Values given as diameter of the valve opening IE: 1.94 or 2.02, etc).

Good info, Bart- - - -also, the "camel hump" heads that people talk about actually represent 5 or 6 different casting numbers with at least two slightly different CC volumes, 1.94" and 2.02" intake valve sizes, and a variety of accessory bolt holes on the ends, or no holes at all on the early ones. There was also a 64 CC angled spark plug variety with no heat riser passages known as an "off-road" head that was only available as an over-the-counter purchase from a Chevy parts department. We used a LOT of them on 600+ HP round track engines in the late 1970's.
Jerry