Suffix Codes & CE replacements

[PeteLeathersac]

Great stuff....thanks Hawaii! . So Keith....what a friendly dealer offering basically a 67/68 Yenko at the General's expense! . Would one of these 427 cars now be considered a dealer installed option....just kidding, I think? . What was this magical dealer's name....I'll keep a lookout for his tag? . And thanks again for the EXT jug....I let my EXT also a few other racers go a few years back now but still have quite a few SkiDoo factory racers....early Blizzards and IFS plus a few others. . Have a great weekend! ~ Pete

[68camaro383]

Hello all, new to the board. I have a CE code shortblock, and just went out and looked at it (3:16 a.m) and here is what I have. The block casting is 3959512, it has a 1182 forged crank, pink rods, and standard bore. Date code of K149, and the stamping is CE9A93177. As far as I can see that does not fall within any numbers that are listed on that 69 Bulletin. Anyone have any input. I have had the engine for about 3 years, and it had a Corvette pan on it when I got it. Thanks Kevin

[Keith Tedford]

For what it's worth, from GM you could get fitted blocks (blocks and pistons), short blocks, or full engines. I don't know how these setups might be used in warranty work. GM didn't like to give out any more parts than necessary.

[68camaro383]

I wonder what the "A" (the 4th charector) in the CE9A93177 is for? I also wonder why the number is to high to fit into any category on that 69 bulletin.

[L34Pace]

I've done a little research on the topic of CE blocks. My primary interest are CE blocks out of the Tonawanda BB plant. I own a 69 Z11 L34/M20 that I bought from the second owner who bought the car in 1970. A lady owner who used it for daily transportation Car was original right down to the smog system. When I restored the motor I realized it had a CE block. I called owner number two and she said she did nothing to the car but drive it and change the oil. I contacted owner number one who I tracked down from the POP. He drove it for a year and traded it back in to the dealership. No engine problems with him either.

[L34Pace]

After the block was hot tanked this is what I found. It seems to be an assembly date stamp including plant, month, and year. It is located at the starter flange of the block.

[L34Pace]

At the rough casting near the oil filter is a partial vin that is very likely punched one digit at a time. The first number 6 was washed out by the camara flash. The partial does not contain the 19N as would have been done during normal practice during assembly.

[L34Pace]

I have been able to document a couple other Tonawanda CE blocks with similar assembly codes. I have not found this application on Flint CE blocks to date. It appears that in my case the block was replaced before the car was sold to the first owner on May 13th 1969 per the POP in service date. This Z11 is a 03D build the block is a 272 cast D119, the assembly code is T059 (May 69) and the block pad reads CE967575 (69 67575). The interesting thing I take from this is that we know that at Tonawanda during the month of May 1969 the sequential batch #'s of 50000 to 79999 was at 67575. Take note that this 30K batch of blocks would include ALL models built at Tonawanda not just Camaro blocks. The only other conclusion I have drawn is that the "year" is not by model but rather by year of warranty installation. The GM documentation states it was by model year. I feel a revision was made. My opinion on the Flint SB system is that the 30k block of available sequential block numbers of 20000 to 49999 was not adequate to accomodate the CE warranty replacements required for GM's SB output. If so I believe that they used a rollover system and added the letter "A" to distinguish this. I've heard "B" and maybe even "C" were used? Another conclusion can be made from all of this. Alot more CE blocks should be under the hoods of our precious first generation Camaros than seems to be the case