Mystery 396 casting date

[YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY]

This is not unusual per Jeff Dotterer of Dated Components. The Deuce engines generally have an 3-5 day span betw/ the casting date and the assy date, far too close I thought, but apparently not (?)

[Stefano]

I would say it is rather unusual to have an engine pad stamped prior to the engine being cast. I have never seen this with a factory stamping prior. It would have to be a factory mistake,IMO.

[mr396]

definitely unusual, I have had this car fo 20 years.my father bought it in 1984 for $3,000.I'm sure it's the original engine.Does the pad look ok?

[SuperNovaSS]

Are you sure that isn't G 1 8 with a screw head after the 1?


Jason

[Enoch]

That is as dead on for a factory stamp as I have seen Broach marks look good. I don't know the idiosynchrosies(sp?) of the plants vin derivaties,but the Tonowanda stamp
looks good also. JMHO...Rich

I forgot to add that I have seen motors assembled the day after casting on Mid Year BB Vettes.

You should check a Julian calander for that year. It just might be that it was cast on a friday and then assembled on monday when they forgot to change the stamp...you all know how Monday mornings can be.

[bertfam]

Rich,

Nah. That's no good. July 10th, 1968 was a Wednesday. But I agree with the "forgot to change the gang" suggestions.

Ed

[mr396]

That 68 calendar is cool It was right after the long 4th of july weekend I agree it was just human error.Thanks for every ones input.

[JohnZ]

Most likely a factory error, either in the casting date tag or in the setup of the gang-stamp holder.

The casting date tag was brass, with the individual characters soldered to the tag, then attached with screws to the pattern; when the (sand) mold was created from the pattern, the characters appeared as raised. There were multiple patterns for the same casting (each of which had their own pattern number for traceability), and they might have missed a date change on one of the multiple patterns.

Photos below of typical casting number/date/pattern number tags, and of a Tonawanda pad-stamp gang-holder.