65 Big Block Cylinder Case

[Anthony S.]

Has anyone seen a 3855961 case on a 65?; if you read the JG on the 65 this cylinder case number is discussed in that section.

[Mike M.]

Re: 65 Big Block Cylinder Case

only 961 block i've seen in a 65 vette had its last "1" chiseled off and a JB weld "2" inserted. i believe the 961's were pass car blocks. don't ever recall seeing a 961 4 bolt block but haven't seen them all. mike

[Pancho T.]

Re: 65 Big Block Cylinder Case

I have never seen one in a vette.I did have a couple of 4 bolt 961 blocks.Both were dated past July of 1965.So either service use or '66 passenger car use

[Wayne M.]

Re: 65 Big Block Cylinder Case

only 961 block i've seen in a 65 vette had its last "1" chiseled off and a JB weld "2" inserted . i believe the 961's were pass car blocks. don't ever recall seeing a 961 4 bolt block but haven't seen them all. mike

Agree wrt no 4-bolts in a '961. But related, in Colvin's Chev-by-the-Numbers ['65-69] interesting Chevrolet blueprints of the 3855961 on pgs 59 and 60. The bottom view drawing shows a 4-bolt with the following note: "OMIT 10 OUTBOARD TAPPED HOLES AS SHOWN". So I guess a person could convert one to a 4-bolt main block by adding the 10 holes for the 5 main bearing caps. Just skip the JB weld . Colvin also says the '962' 4-bolt had thicker cylinder walls.

Hey Pancho, do your later '961's have the two webbing gussets above the timing chain cover and on the back like these (off a mid-May cast 961) ?

[Pancho T.]

Re: 65 Big Block Cylinder Case

Wayne,
no they did not have the two webs.....I wished that they had the aluminum heads and tripower likw the one in your picture

[Anthony S.]

Re: 65 Big Block Cylinder Case

So why would the JG even talk about the 961 case? Here is the the JG states: "casting number for all 396 engines is 3855962. ......check for reinforcement gussets located above the timing chain cover at approximately 11 and 1 o'clock. .... Some 3855961 cylinder cases have reinforcement gussets; however, all 3855962 cylinder cases have reinforcement gussets. ...."

[Rich P.]

Re: 65 Big Block Cylinder Case

I have seen many 962's with out the webs. I was looking for a block for my 396 car 25 years ago and did not buy several correctly dated 962's because they did not have the reinforcement.

Rich