Block Casting Date to Engine Assembly Date

[Mark F.]

Re: Block Casting Date to Engine Assembly Date

If both plants were running 2 or 3 shifts its very possible. Cast early in the morning & machined the next afternoon,evening. Not sure when the foundries change the date tags when running multiple shifts.

Wasn't the shift identified for some castings using the two screws that held the date plate on the sand-mold compressor?

1. two flat-head screws was one shift (don't know which one, though)
2. one flat-head and one round-head screw identified the next shift;
3. finally, two round-head screws identified the next

dunno, but seem to remember reading that somewhere...

[Bill B.]

Re: Block Casting Date to Engine Assembly Date

Interesting Mark!

Here is a pic of mine - definitely round head on left and suspect flat head on rt.
Engine Cast Date.jpg

[Mark F.]

Re: Block Casting Date to Engine Assembly Date

Interesting Mark! Here is a pic of mine - definitely round head on left and suspect flat head on rt.

Hi Bill,

Cool, so I'm not goin' around the bend, eh?

I'm thinking either the consistency of the "sand" in the sand mold; or the pressure used when compressed to the proper shape (or combinations of both) can distort details such as the slot in the round head on your left and almost all detail on your right...

Nice pic demonstrating what I was remembering...must have read that in Noland's book sometime back...

[Joseph S.]

Re: Block Casting Date to Engine Assembly Date

I've seen a bunch of very late 67 small blocks that were assembled the same day or day after casting date. Closest 63 & 4's I've seen are 1 to 2 days after casting. Never have I seen one the same day.

[Edward M.]

Re: Block Casting Date to Engine Assembly Date

I know of a local 1957 Chevrolet BelAir with the original 283, powerglide setup. I helped the owner rebuild that engine about 25 years ago, and we both noted that the engine was cast and assembled on the same day. He still has the car.

We speculated that the block was cast early in the day, and assembled late the same day, and the plant was probably running multiple shifts.

[Pancho T.]

Re: Block Casting Date to Engine Assembly Date

My 69 L71 has a block cast date of H158 ( Aug 15 68 ) and a car assembly date of Aug 13 68. I've not thought this was possible but if this car was also assembled 2 days before the block was cast then may be it is possible.

The car mentioned at the start of this thread was assembled 2 days after the block was cast. You said that your car was assembled 2 days before the block was cast. I doubt the car could be assembled with a block that had yet to be cast.

[Dave B.]

Re: Block Casting Date to Engine Assembly Date

Yes I see how I misread that. As for my car, there is one post with a possible scenario where it might have happened. basically he said they might have found a major problem with the motor upon completion that could not be repaired. The car would have been set aside until another 435Hp motor could drive. I'm getting the shipping data report to see if there was a delay in shipping this car after completion.

[Kenneth B.]

Re: Block Casting Date to Engine Assembly Date

Judged a car yesterday that was Assembled 2 days afer the block was cast. ( A73 castibg OIO9XX Assembly date) I know this is possible but unusual. Anyone else seen this close of a spread on an ORIGINAL MOTOR CAR?? or at least I think it is.

This is the first post I see?

[Kenneth B.]

Re: Block Casting Date to Engine Assembly Date

A 5/8 slot was machined in the Pattern. A piece of cold roll steel was fitted in the slot. 2 holes were drilled & tapes for flat head machine screws & letters & #'S were sweat on for the date & changed every day.The sand mold reverse impression was somewhat soft & small pieces sometimes broke off or washed in when the molten iron was poured in the mold. Cast date codes also got dinged up in the degating & cleaning process.

[Mark F.]

Re: Block Casting Date to Engine Assembly Date

...The sand mold reverse impression was somewhat soft & small pieces sometimes broke off or washed in when the molten iron was poured in the mold. Cast date codes also got dinged up in the degating & cleaning process.

Good points, Kenneth,

Although I (and maybe you, too) spent many hours at the cope and drag separation point and engine block shakeout table that immediately followed it, I could not find a video w/ engine block castings on a shakeout table...

For others who may not have witnessed this, just imagine 200 to 300 lb. freshly-cast, bare blocks dancing around violently on a shakeout table larger than the one in the video below...NOISEY, DIRTY, HOT, SMELLY and DARK....ahhhhhh, it was great ...Hard to believe those ugly looking castings in the video eventually end up nicely polished and machined cranks, eh?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llIOiRHibrQ