CE stamped blocks numbers, do they identify the HP?

[Domenic T.]

My 67 has a CE block and the casting #s show it as a late 67, early 68 block. Is there a code in the stamped CE #s.

Dom

[Edward J.]

Re: CE stamped blocks numbers, do they identify the HP?

Dom, CE is a over the counter service replacement block.

[Domenic T.]

Re: CE stamped blocks numbers, do they identify the HP?

Dom, CE is a over the counter service replacement block.

Ed,
I realize that but I have numbers after the CE and wonder if they mean anything like size, HP, year or other?

Dom

[Edward J.]

Re: CE stamped blocks numbers, do they identify the HP?

Sorry Dom, should have read your post a little more carefully. What are the numbers and letters?

[Patrick H.]

Re: CE stamped blocks numbers, do they identify the HP?

Ed,
I realize that but I have numbers after the CE and wonder if they mean anything like size, HP, year or other?

Dom

Year and sequence number, that's all.

John Hinckley has done an article or two on them if you want to dig them up in the DB Archives or in the Restorer archives.

Or, on Hinckley's other site:

http://www.camaros.org/engine.shtml#service

[Domenic T.]

Re: CE stamped blocks numbers, do they identify the HP?

Patrick & ED,
Thanks. Ed I'm off to the shop and will see what they are and from what Patrick said may find out what they are. I'll post them.

DOM

[Mike T.]

Re: CE stamped blocks numbers, do they identify the HP?

Dom, any chance the date codes is really '77 or '78? I thought the CE program didn't start till later in the 60's or early 70's. I've had two Corvettes with CE engines and the stamped numbers on the front pad alongside the CE had no bearing on what the horsepower was. The only one I partially opened up was the CE in my '61. The PO's son and wife said it was a 327 340 horse...not so much. It did have a 327 3.25-stroke crankshaft in it but the pistons were 4-relief flattops. The questions I have regarding the CE replacement engines is: were all CE's shortblock and longblock engines, were there high compression/high horsepower versions available along with non-high performance versions and was it possible to buy a CE bare block?

[Russ S.]

Re: CE stamped blocks numbers, do they identify the HP?

A bare block wouldn't have a CE stamped into it. It would of had no stamping.

Dom, any chance the date codes is really '77 or '78? I thought the CE program didn't start till later in the 60's or early 70's. I've had two Corvettes with CE engines and the stamped numbers on the front pad alongside the CE had no bearing on what the horsepower was. The only one I partially opened up was the CE in my '61. The PO's son and wife said it was a 327 340 horse...not so much. It did have a 327 3.25-stroke crankshaft in it but the pistons were 4-relief flattops. The questions I have regarding the CE replacement engines is: were all CE's shortblock and longblock engines, were there high compression/high horsepower versions available along with non-high performance versions and was it possible to buy a CE bare block?

[John H.]

Re: CE stamped blocks numbers, do they identify the HP?

Dom, any chance the date codes is really '77 or '78? I thought the CE program didn't start till later in the 60's or early 70's. I've had two Corvettes with CE engines and the stamped numbers on the front pad alongside the CE had no bearing on what the horsepower was. The only one I partially opened up was the CE in my '61. The PO's son and wife said it was a 327 340 horse...not so much. It did have a 327 3.25-stroke crankshaft in it but the pistons were 4-relief flattops. The questions I have regarding the CE replacement engines is: were all CE's shortblock and longblock engines, were there high compression/high horsepower versions available along with non-high performance versions and was it possible to buy a CE bare block?

Michael -

"CE" replacements were furnished either as short blocks or fitted blocks, and the innards were configured (pistons, cam, etc.) to be compatible with the horsepower level of the failed engine, as the bolt-on parts (heads, intake, water pump, pan, were to be swapped from the failed engine. "CE" short blocks were ordered by part number from a horsepower/application matrix, and that part number only appeared on the shipping paperwork and on the shipping crate. The numbers following the "CE" stamp said nothing about the internals - only the year of manufacture and the sequence number for that year from a specific engine plant.

There was no such animal as a "CE" bare block; you just ordered a bare block, and it arrived with a blank pad.

[Mike T.]

Re: CE stamped blocks numbers, do they identify the HP?

John - Thanks for the clarification, I now understand that bare blocks were never part of the CE program but carrying it a bit further on the available short or fitted blocks, what were the available selections as of, say the early to late 70's for a replacement CE shortblock? Were the choices either a flat top piston 300 horse engine with the entry level cam and the next one up a version of the L79 with 11 to 1s and the 222 duration hydraulic cam? I am fairly sure (big leap here) that high horse over the counter engines were still available into at least the 70's because when I returned from my 3 years in the Army in Europe in early '76, a friend showed me the engine he planned for his '40 ford and it was a crate 427-425 horse motor. Long time ago and it might have sat in that crate for a long time and not purchased through a dealer in the mid 70's but I'm curious how long into the CE program did they offer high compression/high horse engines? Thanks.

[Domenic T.]

Re: CE stamped blocks numbers, do they identify the HP?

Michael,
I've got my CE #s off my 435 BB as I told ED I would.
CE851463. Casting- 3916321 H 15 7 = August 15 67

Dom

[John H.]

Re: CE stamped blocks numbers, do they identify the HP?

I've got my CE #s off my 435 BB as I told ED I would.
CE851463. Casting- 3916321 H 15 7 = August 15 67

Dom

Dom -

That says the engine was manufactured in 1968, and was the 1,463rd "CE" engine made at Tonawanda that year (Tonawanda's assigned block of "CE" sequence numbers started with 50,000).

[Ronald L.]

Re: CE stamped blocks numbers, do they identify the HP?

In the 70's you could go to the dealer, or the GM parts plant if you were an employee, and get whatever you wanted from the performance parts catalog. Blocks, cams, push rods, pistons, short blocks - the works. In fact, back then you'd be surprised how many L88's appeared for sale thanks to the readily available parts.

[Domenic T.]

Re: CE stamped blocks numbers, do they identify the HP?

Thanks guys, that is what I wanted to know.

Dom

[Jim T.]

Re: CE stamped blocks numbers, do they identify the HP?

Domenic I have had a CE engine that is in my 1970 Corvette I bought new from the show room floor. Picked it up the next day and left the dealership and the engine failed in the first few minutes of operation and speed was not involved. Anyway my engine was replaced with a short block. The pad has CEOA 47538 block # 3970010 with D260 cast date, has over 160K miles on it now. Do not know if it has 4-bolt mains, the oil pan has not been off since the dealership did the replacement. I left town as soon as it was repaired and did not notice when I picked it up that they did not even paint the short block, still unpainted today. I did not find out what actually failed in the engine, I know it had no oil pressure shown on the oil pressure gauge.