stamped block question

[Roger B.]

I purchased a 62 vette with a block stamped with FII2IHC.
ANY IDEAS ON WHAT IT IS?
rOGER

[Mike E.]

Re: stamped block question

1) Not a 62 block.
2) Possibly a 65 block.
3) Casting date on the passenger side, just above and in front of the bellhousing will help identify the year, then the HC will become more meaningful. It was assembled on the 21st of November.

[John H.]

Re: stamped block question

I purchased a 62 vette with a block stamped with FII2IHC.
ANY IDEAS ON WHAT IT IS?
rOGER

Roger -

The "HC" suffix was used for '65-'66 327 4-barrel Powerglide engines in full-size passenger cars.

[David L.]

Re: stamped block question

Roger,

The casting date is at the back of the block on the top.

The casting number is also there on the driver's side and could be "3782870" (1965), "3858180" (1965 or 1966), or "3858174 (early 1966).

Dave

[Roger B.]

Re: stamped block question

David, it is 870 but looks like KT74 ?
Roger

[Chuck G.]

Re: stamped block question

The casting date looks like this photo.

It's in the format: AXXY for Flint/Saginaw blocks, and AXXYY for Tonawanda blocks, where

A = month (A=January, B=February, etc)

XX = day of the month

Y = year Single digit for Flint Blocks
YY= year Double digit for Tonawanda blocks.


This one is L221, Dec 22, 1961 ("I" was used in cast dates)

Chuck

[David L.]

Re: stamped block question

David, it is 870 but looks like KT74 ?
Roger

Roger,

CORRECTED

I would say that the "KT74" casting date is actually "K174" (November 17, 1964) which would check out with the November 21st assembly date ("F1121HC").

The letter "I" was used in CASTING dates so that "L" = December.
Generally on STAMPED date codes the letter "I" was NOT used so that "M" = December.

Dave

[David L.]

Re: stamped block question

The casting date looks like this photo.

It's in the format: AXXY for Flint/Saginaw blocks, and AXXYY for Tonawanda blocks, where

A = month (A=January, B=February, etc)

XX = day of the month

Y = year Single digit for Flint Blocks
YY= year Double digit for Tonawanda blocks.


This one is L221, Nov 22, 1961 (no "I" used in cast dates)

Chuck

Chuck,

I have to disagree with you concerning the letter "I" in casting dates.
"I" = September in CASTING dates.
"L" = December

Generally Tonowanda castings have a 2-digit year but NOT always. I have a 1966 Chevrolet Passenger car 327 engine stamped "T0521HAR" (Tonowanda, May 21st, 327 engine with manual transmission, Rochester carb) on the pad and a casting date of "E136" (May 13, 1966) or it possibly could be "E186" (May 18, 1966) as I really can not tell if the 3rd digit is a "3" or a "8".

I also once owned a "3782870" block from a early 1963 Chevrolet passenger car stamped "T1017R" (Tonowanda, October 17, 327 engine with manual transmission) with a "J962" (Oct. 9, 1962) casting date.

Is it possible that a block was cast in Flint, MI, and then assembled in Tonowanda, NY?

Dave

[Chuck G.]

Re: stamped block question

Chuck,

I have to disagree with you concerning the letter "I" in casting dates.
"I" = September in CASTING dates.
"L" = December

Dave

Yep, you're right Dave. Typed too fast without engaging my brain.

I'm gonna go back and edit my post.

Chuck

[William C.]

Re: stamped block question

I think you will find it is Nov 17 1964, the 870 block was out of production long before 1974. That also concure with the application info from John Hinckley.

[David L.]

Re: stamped block question

Bill,

Thanks for the wake up call. The year is 1964. I made the correction in my previous post.

Dave

[David L.]

Re: stamped block question

Yep, you're right Dave. Typed too fast without engaging my brain.

I'm gonna go back and edit my post.

Chuck

Chuck,

I just made a similar typing error in another post in this thread (1974 should have been 1964 which I have since corrected).

BTW, have you ever seen a Tonowanda block with a single digit year casting date like my "3858180" Tonowanda block with a "E136" (or "E186") casting date or have you ever heard of a block cast in Flint and assembled in Tonowanda?

Dave

[Chuck G.]

Re: stamped block question

Chuck,

I just made a similar typing error in another post in this thread (1974 should have been 1964 which I have since corrected).

BTW, have you ever seen a Tonowanda block with a single digit year casting date like my "3858180" Tonowanda block with a "E136" (or "E186") casting date or have you ever heard of a block cast in Flint and assembled in Tonowanda?

Dave

No to both questions, David.

Every Tonawanda small block I've seen has the 2 digit year.

And, it wouldn't make financial sense for GM to cast and ship blocks from "far away" foundaries to plants where there are "local" foundaries.

The example here being the Saginaw, Michigan foundry, Flint engine assembly, and St. Louis, MO car assembly.

That being said, I'm sure there are other examples besides the "180" Tonawanda blocks in Corvettes where engines cast in "far away" foundaries made their way to plants not normally serviced by those foundaries.

Had to keep the production line rolling.

Chuck

[Cecil L.]

Re: stamped block question

Chuck,



BTW, have you ever seen a Tonowanda block with a single digit year casting date like my "3858180" Tonowanda block with a "E136" (or "E186") casting date or have you ever heard of a block cast in Flint and assembled in Tonowanda?

Dave

Dave,
Yes, I have some 66 462 Tonawanda heads and a 68 Tonawanda 327 block with single digit casting numbers. I believe Tonawanda started using single digit casting dates on smallblocks sometime in 66. I posted some pics on this in another thread https://www.forums.ncrs.org/showthre...=2123#poststop.

[Terry M.]

Re: stamped block question

I have seen some 1968 Mark IV Corvette engines with single digit year codes.

Chuck, during 1969 to 1972 (and likely other years before and after) Tonawanda cast small block cylinder cases were sent to Flint for machining and assembly. We document this in the 1970-1972 TIM&JG, and now that we have found enough 1969 examples we ought to put it in the 1968-69 TIM&J.

We were told by both Saginaw and Flint that this was done to be sure the castings made in New York would fit on the machinery at Flint so there would be a back-up casting plant in the event Saginaw was unable to supply sufficient cylinder cases to Flint.