Engine block stampings

[bergy]

If the motor plants messed up that bad, there should be documented Tonawanda assemblies with the block cast date after the engine build date! Has anyone ever heard of that? I know that at the foundry the pattern shop inspected the patterns and changed the cast date tags every night. Before the first shift started production, the mold machine operator and supervisor had to check/verify the date tag. We were pretty faithful about checking date tags and clock shift screws because it was the only way that off chemistry cases could be segregated. If the inspection department didn't see the correct date/time on castings in the finishing department, they would quarintine the entire questionable batch. We weren't complete idiots - remember, we made supercars that are still around today! I'm not sure about the motor plant checking mechanism - but I know that everyone was sensitive to date codes and if a mistake was noted - we had to quaranteen and, if necessary, restamp. I guess the bottom line is, that we can assume that Chevrolet employees screwed up, but when you have to start coming up with unusual explanations - potentiel buyers get scared.

[69 Post Sedan]

It was just another possible scenario. But we must remember, we are all human and mistakes are/were made.

I recently saw a '69 Camaro 396 block in which the 3rd number was a 5 and it should have been a 6. It was confirmed with a email from Kurt Sonen as he new of a block that had the same problem and both VIN's were very close.

Kurt

[bergy]

I agree - good discussion.

[69 Post Sedan]

"new" Sorry...I did not catch that in time. Proofreading is something I need to do more often.

[turbojet427]

I have a late 1968 dated DZ short block with very low miles. The motor has the correct assembley stampings on the pad, but no VIN # anywhere on the block. Not even the slightest hint of a VIN # on the pad or by the oil filter. The short block has never been decked or even disassembled. Is it common to have a car motor without a VIN #? Where else could this short block came from?

[Kurt S]

It was the job of the setup man to change all the gang stamps at the start of the shift.
I worked in several component plants and changing the date was just part of the routine and it always happened...

[turbojet427]

The block has the casting date, suffix code, and assembly date, but no VIN #. Would a crate motor than still have a DZ suffix code?

[x77-69z28]

IT WOULD NOT. it would be a "CE" block

[turbojet427]

Thats what I thought. I have a CE L-78 motor. I'll have to take some paint off and get a closer look by the oil filter and look for traces of a VIN #.

[bergy]

Sometimes the VIN# is very, very hard to make out. Make sure that you remove all of the paint and take a picture of the stamp area with a good camera. Crop the picture and blow it up as big as possible. I had to do this with my Pace Car #272 block. I could just make out partial impressions of enough of the charactors to verify the vin.