Interesting 56 engine pad

[Edward M.]

Here is a picture of an engine pad for a 56. The casting date on the block is B 23 7, and it is a 991 block.

[William C.]

Re: Interesting 56 engine pad

Would not that date make it a '57 year casting? Service engine?

[John H.]

Re: Interesting 56 engine pad

Hellooooo Ace Hardware stamps .

[Edward M.]

Re: Interesting 56 engine pad

Would not that date make it a '57 year casting? Service engine?

Yeah, I am thinking the same thing. A guy on the Forum had this engine in his garage for years. When he first posted about it, we thought he had hit the lottery, then we saw the pics.

I am wondering if the stamp might have been done by the dealer as a service replacement engine was installed.

Engine does have the correct 762 heads dated May of 56, so it isn't a total loss.

[Garry B.]

Re: Interesting 56 engine pad

Here are the facts as we see them:
1. It is a Feb, 1957 #991 block.
2. It has been restamped to make it appear to be a '56 corvette engine from the front because you typically cannot see the casting date easily when in the car. The stamping is not typical of any of the following; character shape, size, placement or sequence.
3. The gap between the E*6 (May of '56) date codes of the heads and the B**7 (Feb. of 1957) engine casting date tells me that these heads did not originally come on top of this engine block (10 months apart).
4. The heads are definitely the correct casting number for corvettes in 56.
5. The biggest question is: considering the production of the '57 corvette started in October of '56 with 3731548 block casting number, why would a '56 corvette have a 991 block casting number 5 months after the start of the '57 production (and different block #) and 6 months after the last known '56 was produced? Simple answer, it didn't. I believe Original '56 engine block needed replaced and was replaced with a later cast "over the counter' replacement block sometime after February of 1957. Owner or rebuilder felt compelled to restamp the pad, albeit a very poor attempt as compared to original factory stampings as shown earlier in the thread.
Garry 18531

[Edward M.]

Re: Interesting 56 engine pad

Here are the facts as we see them:
1. It is a Feb, 1957 #991 block.
2. It has been restamped to make it appear to be a '56 corvette engine from the front because you typically cannot see the casting date easily when in the car. The stamping is not typical of any of the following; character shape, size, placement or sequence.
3. The gap between the E*6 (May of '56) date codes of the heads and the B**7 (Feb. of 1957) engine casting date tells me that these heads did not originally come on top of this engine block (10 months apart).
4. The heads are definitely the correct casting number for corvettes in 56.
5. The biggest question is: considering the production of the '57 corvette started in October of '56 with 3731548 block casting number, why would a '56 corvette have a 991 block casting number 5 months after the start of the '57 production (and different block #) and 6 months after the last known '56 was produced? Simple answer, it didn't. I believe Original '56 engine block needed replaced and was replaced with a later cast "over the counter' replacement block sometime after February of 1957. Owner or rebuilder felt compelled to restamp the pad, albeit a very poor attempt as compared to original factory stampings as shown earlier in the thread.
Garry 18531

Yep, I concur.

Broach marks look OK, so I don;t think the engine has been decked.