casting date/assembly date..

**WILMASBOYL78** · #1 05-15-2006, 04:59 PM

Our 68 L78 engine has an assembly date of 6-10-68..the 163 intake that came with it had the same date...is that possible??? I would figure the manifold date should be a little before the engine assembly....any thoughts??

wilma

nuch_ss396 · #2 05-15-2006, 06:00 PM

Tom,

Just think about that for a minute. The date on the intake
is part of the rough casting process. The intake still
has to be cleaned and machined in a batch, then shipped to
Tonowanda. How does that happen the same day ( before
FedEx anyway )?

Steve

**WILMASBOYL78** · #3 05-16-2006, 02:05 AM

I agree that it probably was impossible. The prior owner must have replaced the original manifold and then went back to a 163 before I bought it. I found a 163 with a mid-May date and we are going to use it on the car. By the way...who started all this numbers nonsense anyway????

wilma

**firstgenaddict** · #4 05-16-2006, 02:13 AM

Those damn corvette guys and it has spilled over into our realm.

Kim_Howie · #5 05-16-2006, 06:16 PM

The General started it. Somebody then figured out. That's the person who should be shot.

**firstgenaddict** · #6 05-16-2006, 06:42 PM

Howie... I will have to say that you got to the source of all this insanity!!!

Kim_Howie · #7 05-17-2006, 06:30 PM

jUST dRiNk MoRe

JohnZ · #8 05-20-2006, 05:01 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Our 68 L78 engine has an assembly date of 6-10-68..the 163 intake that came with it had the same date...is that possible??? I would figure the manifold date should be a little before the engine assembly....any thoughts??

It's possible - the intake was cast at the Tonawanda Foundry, which was on the same piece of property as the engine plant (about two football fields apart), and shipped across the yard raw to the engine plant where it was machined and assembled to the engine. It would be possible for the intake to be cast early on 1st shift at the foundry and end up on an engine assembled on second shift at the engine plant next door. We've documented known-original midyear Corvette blocks cast at Saginaw early on 1st shift and assembled at Flint Engine (an hour away by truck) the same day on second shift. Certainly not the "norm", but it's happened.

wilma

[/ QUOTE ]

nuch_ss396 · #9 05-20-2006, 06:11 AM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Our 68 L78 engine has an assembly date of 6-10-68..the 163 intake that came with it had the same date...is that possible??? I would figure the manifold date should be a little before the engine assembly....any thoughts??

It's possible - the intake was cast at the Tonawanda Foundry, which was on the same piece of property as the engine plant (about two football fields apart), and shipped across the yard raw to the engine plant where it was machined and assembled to the engine. It would be possible for the intake to be cast early on 1st shift at the foundry and end up on an engine assembled on second shift at the engine plant next door. We've documented known-original midyear Corvette blocks cast at Saginaw early on 1st shift and assembled at Flint Engine (an hour away by truck) the same day on second shift. Certainly not the "norm", but it's happened.

wilma

[/ QUOTE ]

[/ QUOTE ]

John,

How is this possible? I would expect that the intake
castings ( raw ) would be batch machined to save costs.
It almost defies logic.....

Steve

**Kurt S** · #10 05-20-2006, 10:06 AM

But this would be an aluminum intake, I assume cast by Winters, which means it had to be shipped. ?

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