I looked at a 67 today and on the engine pad it had CEA138880. Does anyone know what this is? Is it a replacement block? It was wierd because it was very crooked and heading up under the valve cover. It looked like a bad restamp or something but why restamp with the CE code? It had no other VIN markings or anything.

 

Conventional wisdom says that the CE block is a warranty replacement short block assembly. JohnZ has some information on how to decode the stamping, but all it really tells you is the year in which the block was put into service. The internals of the engine should be correct for the original configuration of the car, assuming that this motor really was a waranty replacement for this car.

Shannon

 

What is the casting number on the block?

 

pro, my ce is CEB1279 C5
casting # 3959512
can you tell me anything? thanks, don

 

it's 3955912

 

How about the casting date on the block?

 

pro, where would that be? don

 

on the back side of the block almost opposite of the casting number(just past the distributor on the opposite side)

 

pro, has a vent tube hole next to the distributor (drivers side) and the plug wire shield and wires are blocking my view on the other side. don

 

unfortunately I have been there.This casting number was usually used as a replacement (CE motor) mid sixtys 327ci usually low horse

 

"CE" blocks (warranty replacements) were hand-stamped, one character at a time, so the characters aren't nicely aligned like a standard gang-stamped engine code. All we really know about the code is that the first number after the "CE" is the calendar year the engine was made, and the rest of the numbers are an internal engine plant sequence denoting how many warranty replacement engines that engine plant had made up to that point in that year. :thumbs:


[Modified by JohnZ, 11:26 AM 5/16/2003]

 

dear john, the 1 after the ceb figures as the engine was purchased over the counter in 1971. can you tell me anything about the ce cea ceb sequence? thanks, don

 

Here's a summary on the "CE" engines, from the "Engine" section of our CRG (Camaro Research Group) website, http://www.camaros.org:

Quoting from a Chevrolet Dealer Service Information Bulletin dated 14 April, 1969, on the new identification scheme for 5/50 warranty components:

The first letter will designate the GM division which produced the engine. C-Chevrolet L-Oldsmobile K-Cadillac B-Buick P-Pontiac
The second letter will designate the type of unit "E" engine or "T" transmission. The number following the letter will designate the model year "9" for 1969. The last five digits specify the service replacement unit sequence number. The group of numbers to be used by Chevrolet manufacturing plants [for engines, CRG] are as follows:


Flint motor plant (L-6 engines) 00001 to 19999
Flint V-8 engine plant 20000 to 49999
Tonawanda motor plant 50000 to 79999
Example: Number CE900175 designates Chevrolet engine - 1969 year, and the 175th unit produced for service at the Flint motor plant.

This numbering system applies to service engine assemblies, partial engines, fitted cylinder cases, cylinder cases, transmission assemblies and transmission cases.

Note that engine plants took some liberties with this scheme and the sequence coding changed somewhat over the years, including some added characters whose meaning is unknown.
:thumbs:

 

john z, thanks for the clarification, don