engine suffix

[Rob C.]

Hi All,
Could some one tell me what year engine, type or what this came out of.
Engine Suffix: CEB, theses are the # that follow 190970.
Thank you,
Rob

[Martin T.]

Re: engine suffix

Rob, I don't claim to be an expert but I ran across a similar suffix 20+years ago. I was told it referenced Crated Engine Block.

[Joe L.]

Re: engine suffix

Rob and Martin----

That's what it is. That's assuming, of course, that what Rob has called a "suffix" is actually a "prefix". If it were a "suffix" code it would be at the end of a string of characters beginning with "T", "F", "K" or "V". However, there was never a suffix code of "CEB" used, anyway. So, it almost can't be a suffix code.

[Mark #28455]

Re: engine suffix

CE prefix was for a counter exchange block - AKA warranty replacement motor. I have seen them with CE then a number and CEA then a number during the 1968-69 time period. The rumor I heard was that the numbers simply went in order - there is no "meaning" to a number (like IT being an L88 Corvette engine). I was also told that they started with CE00001 (or however many zeroes it took) and once they got to CE99999 they rolled over to CEA0000 and kept going - seems like a LOT of engine replacements to get to CEB so I question the validity of that statement. Perhaps CEA was for 1969 and then CEB was for 1970?

Mark

[Terry M.]

Re: engine suffix

Actually the numbers didn't start with 00001 - at least in not more than one case. Each engine plant was assigned a block of numbers for their use. When that block rolled over then CEA was used, then CEB and so on. I would have to do some hunting to see if the block of numbers remained fixed at each plant, or began again with perhaps even a different block for the next year. We have not spent too much time researching this issue since for judging purposes the casting number and casting date are more important, and once that hurdle is crossed any CE stamp is treated the same.
I believe John Hinckley has posted on this question in the past, and has first-hand knowledge of the issue. Such experience is always better for research than written instructions.

[John H.]

Re: engine suffix

We know for a fact (Chevrolet Service News, April 14, 1969) that blocks of numbers for "CE" 5/50 warranty replacement short blocks were assigned to each engine plant:

Flint Motor (L-6 plant): 00001 to 19999
Flint V-8: 20000 to 49999
Tonawanda: 50000 to 79999

The same article shows us that the first digit after the "E" is the year of manufacture, followed by the numbers indicated above.

Observation of many "CE" blocks also shows that the published "standard" stamping format for "CE" blocks was modified, altered, and changed many times by the engine plants, for whatever reason, and about the only constant is the "CE" stamp for the first two characters.

There were a LOT more "CE" blocks manufactured than was initially projected, and the 5/50 powertrain warranty initiative rapidly became a money pit beyond anyone's wildest dreams (or nightmares, in the case of the bean-counters), which is why it only ran for five years or so and was cancelled.