CE Engine ID help

[R N.]

Hi Everyone,

I have a CE stamped 350 CID 4-bolt engine block, casting # 3970010 dated K269, pistons are stamped 3959456 and the crank is # 3932442 dated K149.

With this information can anyone tell me what I have and what it may of come out of. Your help is appreciated.

[Tom H.]

Re: CE Engine ID help

Hi Kurt !

Any stamp info on the deck? The 010 block was used from 69 to 79 ( two and four bolt main ) and that crank was used from 69 to 85 from what my data shows.

[Jack H.]

Re: CE Engine ID help

Since it's a CE ('crate engine' or service replacement) motor, it might have come out of a number of cars who had warranty replacement service. Since this isn't an over the counter bare block, it should be stamped with the assy date and suffix code. The suffix code should identify the engine's internal configuration and target application.

Also, the date info you provided says it came from the 1969 era when GM was first 'experimenting' with the 5 Year/50K mile warranty. My recollection is they ate a LOT of engines and transmissions (more than they anticipated) back then...

[Terry M.]

Re: CE Engine ID help

Since it's a CE ('crate engine' or service replacement) motor, it might have come out of a number of cars who had warranty replacement service. Since this isn't an over the counter bare block, it should be stamped with the assy date and suffix code. The suffix code should identify the engine's internal configuration and target application.

Also, the date info you provided says it came from the 1969 era when GM was first 'experimenting' with the 5 Year/50K mile warranty. My recollection is they ate a LOT of engines and transmissions (more than they anticipated) back then...

The CE blocks do not get a typical assembly and suffix code. After the CE stamp will be a series of numbers and maybe a letter. One of those numbers is the year of assembly, but the rest of the number is a consecutive number that provides little information now some 40-years later. To make matters worse blocks of numbers were assigned to the engine plants so the sequential system didn't begin with 00001. The short story is the number on the front tells one next to nothing.

This subject comes up on here from time to time, and there is ample information, what there is of it, in the archives.

[Jack H.]

Re: CE Engine ID help

Thanks for the 'reminder' on this Terry! Yep, I did confuse CE motor marks with those on across the counter long block assys...

[R N.]

Re: CE Engine ID help

Here is a photo of the stamp - appears to read CE 3A....

I was hoping the the combination of the pistons and crank might help as to what HP it was.

[Michael W.]

Re: CE Engine ID help

FWIW, I think those pistons were used in LT1 engines.

[Terry M.]

Re: CE Engine ID help

I was hoping the the combination of the pistons and crank might help as to what HP it was.

Wouldn't one also need the cylinder head information to make a guess about the original engien hp?

[John H.]

Re: CE Engine ID help

Here is a photo of the stamp - appears to read CE 3A....

The CE3A... stamp says it was manufactured in 1973, with the second-round re-use of the original block of 30,000 numbers issued for 1973. As Terry noted, there were FAR more 5/50 warranty failures than were originally predicted when the program was sold to management in 1967.

There's nothing in the stamped "CE" number that identifies the innards of the short block.