@rustoholic I was looking over 1954advance-design.com appears this serial stamp is missing portion of the letters that would designate year and type.

@north1941 

I agree that something looks wonky with this serial number.

Here is a very useful site where you can look at serial numbers for vehicles, engines, etc for various years and models:

https://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com/chevyresto/index.htm

The number stamps don't look like the style Chevrolet used at the time.

Especially the number 1, which Chev usually used interchangeably with the letter I.

This leads me to suspect that maybe what you have is a replacement block or short block, which Chev shipped without a serial number so that the number from the engine being replaced could be stamped into the new engine.

Is the second picture an engine re-builders tag?

Where is that located?  Just ahead of where the fuel pump mounts?

So... look for the casting date as per Dean's suggestion above.

The style of the dipstick tells me you have a later low pressure (pressure stream) engine.

So does the valve cover... as that style of cover was first used in 1949, and from then up to the end of the low pressure engines in 1953.

@ole-olson ya that tag is just ahead of the fuel pump.

Ok so from the casting numbers I have a 1948 235 Block (3835309) with 1952 216 head. (3835517). So I have a 235 engine then? It did come from a larger bed truck with the 4spd transmission that has a PTO off the side. It will be interesting to pull the oil pan and see if it has dippers or not. 

@north1941 

I suspected you might have a 235.  👍

You don't need to remove the pan to tell if it has dippers (which it undoubtedly does).

Just check for the oil distributor valve on the left side of the block.

It's the cover with 3 screws in the picture below:

@ole-olson so being a 52 it's unfortunately not a full pressure oiler then I'd imagine.

Doing more reading if it has the plate with 3 screws it is a dipper, no plate full pressure. 

Being that it is early 235 block my original 4spd transmission should fit. From what I read early 235 uses same flywheel as 216.  

@north1941

You sound like you're disappointed that it's a dipper engine.  🙂

Don't be.

They were great engines and any bad reputation they may have is undeserved.

When set up properly and fed a light modern detergent oil they were every bit as good as a pressure oiled engine.

And, you can swap it for a 261 giving more power, and nobody (well almost nobody) will know the difference.

It'll look completely original.

Looking at cam and crank bearings. Suggested brand or vendor to get these from? 

It appears that my above post was modified by Chip??

How does that happen?

I meant you could swap the 235 in place of your 216.

Dropping in a 261 would be much easier to visually notice.  🙂

A 261 would be easily noticed actually, and not look original to the truck at all.

@north1941 Your rebuilders tag indicates that your engine has been bored .040 oversize and that rod and main bearing journals have been ground to .030 undersize. Why do you think you need a complete rebuild? It will be expensive and maybe unnecessary. Take a look at your internal components then decide.

Mike

@north1941 

What Mike says above.  👍

Especially if there are still shims left in the rods and mains that can be removed.

PS

Were you referring to the 216 in the truck or the 235?

Either way, you may still have shims you can remove as needed.

I was making an assumption that it'd be rough inside but your right. Won't know tell I look. Hoping to get it inside on the stand this week and start tearing into it. 

Was also thinking doing a heat cleaning might be beneficial to clean the water journals. In my mind something this long I was thinking it'd be best to just have it decked, valve seats re ground and all that but maybe not. Guess we will see when I get her open. 

If you are going to pull the head off, that will give you access to the water passages in the block and the head.

Then, you can see if there is a lot of rust or crud in there. Use a screw driver, and coat hanger wire and a vacuum to get those passages cleared out.

Pay particular attention to the passages around the rear two cylinders because the coolant does not circulate well there.

When you put the head back on (with a new head gasket and head bolts that are not stretched), you can run water from the garden hose through the water pump and out the head to flush the area out. Then, reverse the direction of the water.

Cheers, Dean

From the top the bores actually look pretty decent. 2 small spots of rust in one but it appears to be surface nothing I can feel.

Oil looks rather clean too. Didn't appear to have any metal in it. The block passages where filled with coolant, rusty but looks manageable. 

Tomorrow gonna pull valves on the head and get the oil pan off and investigate crank and rod bearings.

@north1941 Lookin' good.