The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Engine numbers

Please help identify the following.

L53S013443-Door Plate
0I94604F56V--Engine near distributor
3836848
GM12--Other side of engine

I have included photos of the numbers.

THanks

http://s732.photobucket.com/albums/ww324/huthip/idnumbers/

The door plate indicates a '53 1-ton, 3800 series. The engine has been updated with a '56 235 full-pressure truck engine. It also has the desirable "848" head on it. Got any pics of the truck?

Yes, under Big Bolts "Got permission to buy first stovebolt" I have link to the photos of the truck.

Just curious, why is the "848" head desirable? I don't know much about this stuff so I am trying to learn.

THanks

It seems that the "848" head was used on all 235s from 1956 and onwards. After 1956, it was also the replacement head for any 235 for any 1954 and later 235.

The "848" head's design results in higher compression (and thus, higher horsepower) when used on an engine that did not come with a 848 head.

The head could also be adapted to work on any 261 engine (which was available from 1954-1963). The 261 was always lower compression than the same year 235.

what tc said and also the "848" supposedly flows better than previous designs. It first showed up on the famous 6-cyl Blue Flame engine of the '53 Corvette.

waldo53,

All I know about 1953-55 235 heads is from the 1929-1954 Master Parts Catalog. It does not show an 848 head as being available in 1954.

However, the 848 head was available as the replacement head for all high-pressure 235s by 1957.

The 1953-55 Corvette's 235 head casting codes, supposedly, were:
1953: 3836066 (150 hp)
1954: 3836241 (150/155 hp)
1955: 3836241 (155 hp)
All three of these heads had a smaller diameter hole for the older temperature sensor.

Tim

tc; Maybe I'm not reading this right but look at the Corvette 235 casting number here. Isn't this saying the "848" casting number started in '53?

That could be read that way. But it could also be read that it is used as a service part for 235 full pressure back to '53 as well.

waldo,

You are reading it right. The Master Parts Catalog, as Bill posted, shows replacement part numbers (that's why I showed both the 54 and the 57 Catalogs' entries). The 848 head was not shown in 54 but it shows up in 57 - the 848 head first became available in 1956 and was the standard replacement head until the end of its run).

I'd be willing to bet that a Corvette-purists' discussion board would quickly (and probably rudely) state that an 848 head was not an original (year-matching) part.

Finally, other indirect evidence that an 848 head was not used on any 53-55 Corvette 235, would be the size of the hole for the temperature sender. An adapter is needed in order to use a 55 or earlier temperature sender in an 848 head.

Tim

O.K., my bad for stating it came on the '53 Corvette. Could we safely assume though that the flow and compression characteristics of the "848" were at least on par with the original Corvette heads since as a replacement part I would think the HP ratings of the Corvette engines would still be the same, or very close to the same, with the "848". What think ye??

The increased hp in 1953-1955 Corvettes was probably due to the dual exhausts and the three one-barrel side-draft carbs.

In mid 1954, the 235 Corvette's hp increased from 150 to 155, due to the use of a higher-lift 261 cam.

I'd bet the hp in any of the 235 Corvette engines would increase somewhat if an 848 head was put on one. People who put the higher-compression 848 head on a 261 report an increase in hp.