You could always have the block tested at one of the labs the feds use to investigate gins that the serial number has been ground off of! I believe it will only work on stamped numbers however. It measures the compression of the metal under the stamped area allowing them to retrieve the information. Last time I read up on it they said it could get just about every spec of info off of firearms as to grind off enough metal to make the number unreadably you made the weapon unuseable! -- Mark Price Morgantown, WV 1969 AMC Rambler, 4.0L, EFI, T-5 2004 Grand Cherokee Laredo, 4.7L, Quadratrac II " I realize that death is inevitable. I just don't want to be around when it happens! " -------------- Original message ---------------------- From: Frank Swygert <farna@xxxxxxx> > Casting numbers for the older engines are very hard to find, and the listing I > have may not be entirely accurate. Many are reported from owners, and some > engines may have been swapped, so the years are approximate at best. It's the > best list out there, compiled from many sources, that's all I can say. > > I'll add that head casting number to the list, but it should be something like a > 65 head. The numbers are more or less in numerical order -- the newer parts > have higher numbers. I wish the dolts hadn't ground the engine day-build code > off!! No way to accurately date the block without it. If the date was there it > would be easy to add to the list. I will likely add it to the casting number > list though. Numerically it should be a 62-63 block, not 58, but the numbers > aren't always in numerical order by year -- usually, but not always. In other > words, it could be a 58 block, but there's no way to really tell without the > code. 58 was the first year the water pump was on the front of the engine. > > The only way to build a reasonably accurate database of casting numbers is to > collect them from engines known to be original. The blocks are easy since they > have the day-build code, the heads may have been changed though. > > > ------------- > Date: Sat, 18 Oct 2008 17:54:48 -0700 > From: Tom Jennings <tomj@xxxxxxx> > > So I got out the red-white-blue book (that book of yours is very handy) > and looked up the block, and that head I got from the yard. > > Neither are in there! > > THe head has 3167960, cast in, near valve springs, front couple of > cylinders. Part or casting number? It's definitely 195.6 OHV, and it > came out of a 63 (or was it 64) Classic. It was rebuilt "recently" > however, so it's lineage is unknown. > > THe block, the boss on the left (passenger) side has NEVER been stamped > or milled. None of the flat bosses over there were milled, rough cast. > There's a matching boss on the right, very front of the block -- but it > was ground off, you can see the marks. This shortblock came from a > rebuilder so that should not be a surprise. > > But this casting number is also not in the book! 3160133. > > The foundry marker thingie is > > CWC > 4 > (8) (the clock arrow points at 8). > > THat's consistent with 1958 (or 1948! :-) > > No reason to think it's other than 195.6 (eg 172...) but I spoze I > should check! > > -- > Frank Swygert > Publisher, "American Motors Cars" > Magazine (AMC) > For all AMC enthusiasts > http://farna.home.att.net/AMC.html > (free download available!) > > _______________________________________________ > Amc-list mailing list > Amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx > http://splatter.wps.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/amc-list _______________________________________________ Amc-list mailing list Amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx http://splatter.wps.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/amc-list