052 block

[Ronald D, Rains]

About 20 years ago I bought an engine from a hot rodder, is is an 052 aluminum block. If some of you old timmers could remember, I think 69 is the only year this block was cast. To my knowledge there were no date codes on these blocks. I am in a bit of an arguement with a buddy but don't realy don't know what I am talking about. This was most likey a counter block because the pad is blank and doesn't appear to have been decked.
thanks Ronnie

[Joe L.]

Re: 052 block

Ronnie----

The GM #3946052 casting was the 1969 ZL-1 block. This block was produced for 1969 for PRODUCTION and SERVICE and was manufactured for several years afterwards for SERVICE only. There were other factory aluminum blocks of different casting numbers, but these were SERVICE only and designed for specialized applications (like large bore, short stroke Can Am racing engines). The 3946052 was the "more-or-less" aluminum-equivalent of the cast iron blocks. It actually differed from the cast iron blocks in many ways, but it was "more-or-less" equivalent.

[Ronald D, Rains]

Re: 052 block

Joe
So I take it there is no casting dates like the CI blocks had?
Thanks Ronnie

[Joe L.]

Re: 052 block

Ronnie-----

I think that did have casting dates on them somewhere. However, I think that they were of the later style, Winters foundry type format (e.g.: 07.24.04).