Block #3857656 Need input!
- Thread starter bobs409
- Start date
Bet you guys thought this thread was finished. Oh no, The block Dond referanced is #656 QD with a 70 julian date........... Q=1961-1964 right? J=1965........ If Q = 64 in this case, then the block was cast 63. ??? If it was cast in late 64, why not a J , like the pass. car blocks were?? Were there any early 65 pass. cars with Q code blocks?? Since the whole world looks to this site for this type of answer, how about a data-base for truck block pad numbers?? I will be first. The only one I have at this time is Blank. 
I have had one in the past that was stamped TXXX. Dont have any idea what that means. We all have been using these blocks alot in the past few years and because of the growing popularity, we will see more and more of them. Please check your truck blocks and offer their pad numbers. Who knows, maybe we will see a pattern? 
I have had one in the past that was stamped TXXX. Dont have any idea what that means. We all have been using these blocks alot in the past few years and because of the growing popularity, we will see more and more of them. Please check your truck blocks and offer their pad numbers. Who knows, maybe we will see a pattern?
No, 1963 does not fit. 70th day of 64 but cast #656 would make it one of the earliest #656 block , which would confirm that #656 is correct for 64 trucks??
Could be a re-stamp???
Check out the stamp (on the left) If you look closely at the photo it appears as if certain numbers are super-imposed on top of other numbers. As if it were re-stamped at some point. I think that a Q stamp on a 656 block is most likely a restamp that someone did because they wanted a legitimate looking "Q" engine stamp for a '64 or earlier car. It would not have come from the factory stamped that way.
The date code on the 656 block shown is 253 which is Sept 9, 1964. This would be consistent with a 124xxx serial number car that was assembled in the Janesville, WI. assembly plant and spent it's whole life in Indiana. But I find the overstamp kind of odd. 656 Blocks with a casting date of 2 to 43 would be a very late 1965 block, as opposed to a very early block, as conventional wisdom would hold.
Reason??? Friday, Feb 12, 1965 (Julian date 43) was the very last day that 409s were cast at Tonawanda before moving the "W" line off the main production floor there. 656 blocks, most likely, would have started production on July 19, 1964 (Julian date 232) Im am not 100% sure of when the actual day they started was , Fran Preve could tell us that. I am positive, however, about the end date. So, 656 blocks have a date range of 232? -366 and 2-43 Mine is a 25 which is Monday Jan 25, 1965 my block stamp and protecto plate is T0205JE Right on the money for my car.
The only factory truck stamp that I have ever seen on any 656 notched block was XXG, that doesn't mean that there aren't other truck possibilities, those are just all the ones that I have seen.
Rock
Check out the stamp (on the left) If you look closely at the photo it appears as if certain numbers are super-imposed on top of other numbers. As if it were re-stamped at some point. I think that a Q stamp on a 656 block is most likely a restamp that someone did because they wanted a legitimate looking "Q" engine stamp for a '64 or earlier car. It would not have come from the factory stamped that way.
The date code on the 656 block shown is 253 which is Sept 9, 1964. This would be consistent with a 124xxx serial number car that was assembled in the Janesville, WI. assembly plant and spent it's whole life in Indiana. But I find the overstamp kind of odd. 656 Blocks with a casting date of 2 to 43 would be a very late 1965 block, as opposed to a very early block, as conventional wisdom would hold.
Reason??? Friday, Feb 12, 1965 (Julian date 43) was the very last day that 409s were cast at Tonawanda before moving the "W" line off the main production floor there. 656 blocks, most likely, would have started production on July 19, 1964 (Julian date 232) Im am not 100% sure of when the actual day they started was , Fran Preve could tell us that. I am positive, however, about the end date. So, 656 blocks have a date range of 232? -366 and 2-43 Mine is a 25 which is Monday Jan 25, 1965 my block stamp and protecto plate is T0205JE Right on the money for my car.
The only factory truck stamp that I have ever seen on any 656 notched block was XXG, that doesn't mean that there aren't other truck possibilities, those are just all the ones that I have seen.
Rock
Attachments
Rock, Velly intellesting. That J would mean, Janesville, wouldnt it? What does the suffix code say. The light reflection blocks it out. Very suspicious looking stamp.
I have QD listed as 62-65 truck on the suffix code chart. http://www.348-409.com/suffix.html
Rock, Great explaination. Very interesting. But how do we explain a #656 block with a julian date of 70??? Bob's info. does show QD as 62-62 truck, so could G.M. continued casting replacement blocks for the rest of 65, thus explaining date code of 70?? Uh Oh, just checked my #656 unstamped block and it has a julian date of 53 .........
That's the first thought that came to my mind. The low date coded 656 blocks were cast in early 65 as replacement blocks. They couldn't be cast in early 64 unless they cast both the 656 and 422 blocks at the same time as there are 422 blocks with date codes later then 53 or 70.
Not 1965 regular production
Hi Ronnie!!!
The only logical answer that I can provide is that those particular 656 blocks were probably cast AFTER regular pass/truck production 409s ended (2/12/65) but not before July1964.
After the "W" line was moved off the main production floor at Tonawanda, it was not terminated but relocated to a different part of the plant complex and continued to be produced as a special product until everything ended for the "W" in 1972 (seven years later) and all the tooling was excessed.
Fran Preve and I discussed this several times, but not on the 'forum'
What casting numbers, what dates codes and such were used on "W" blocks cast from Mar 65 through end of 409 production in 1972 is a mystery to me. Fran may know that information. I really had no interest in pursuing the history of "W" replacement/marine/agricultural parts...
Rock
Hi Ronnie!!!
The only logical answer that I can provide is that those particular 656 blocks were probably cast AFTER regular pass/truck production 409s ended (2/12/65) but not before July1964.
After the "W" line was moved off the main production floor at Tonawanda, it was not terminated but relocated to a different part of the plant complex and continued to be produced as a special product until everything ended for the "W" in 1972 (seven years later) and all the tooling was excessed.
Fran Preve and I discussed this several times, but not on the 'forum'
What casting numbers, what dates codes and such were used on "W" blocks cast from Mar 65 through end of 409 production in 1972 is a mystery to me. Fran may know that information. I really had no interest in pursuing the history of "W" replacement/marine/agricultural parts...
Rock
Rock, Completely logical explaination. That would explain the xxg , and other strange suffix on a lot of the truck blocks. Thanks for your input. If I had a sweet 65 - 409 Impala like yours, I wouldnt give a crap about truck blocks either.. Thanks again.........
Thanks again.........
About the re-stamp. Yes, that was done at the factory. An exception for sure but it was done when needed. I was the original owner of a 1970 Corvette. The ORIGINAL 454 was coded to go in an Impala and the code was ground off and re-stamped with the Vette number! You could just see the orig code under the re-stamp.
I also worked on the production line in the late 60's at Chrysler, we did what ever it took to keep the cars going out the door.
I also worked on the production line in the late 60's at Chrysler, we did what ever it took to keep the cars going out the door.
huh???
WHY NOT??????????????
You could have purchased a New Holland field cutter, that's a corn picker to the non-farm people, with a factory 409 truck engine and a 2-barrel carb. There was one down home. I always told Doug Marion that I was going to buy it....restore it back to the red and yellow paint, put dual 4's on it, and chrome the huge chains on the front.....and haul it to Indy Super Chevy so I could win "Most Unusual"!!!!
Hi Ronnie!!!
I really had no interest in pursuing the history of "W" replacement/marine/agricultural parts...
Rock
WHY NOT??????????????
You could have purchased a New Holland field cutter, that's a corn picker to the non-farm people, with a factory 409 truck engine and a 2-barrel carb. There was one down home. I always told Doug Marion that I was going to buy it....restore it back to the red and yellow paint, put dual 4's on it, and chrome the huge chains on the front.....and haul it to Indy Super Chevy so I could win "Most Unusual"!!!!
brisbane47
Well Known Member
956 Block:
Phil, you are so smooth....Why didn't you do it???? Brisbane47
Phil, you are so smooth....Why didn't you do it???? Brisbane47
I would think that because of Mr. Reed's advanced age that a red and yellow corn picking tractor would his safest mode of transportation. 
:eek:
:eek:Hey!!
Ronnie..........if you keep this cr*p up...I'm gonna come down there with my walker and beat you up with my new cane!!!
Plus.........you are supposed to show respect to your elders!!!!
I would think that because of Mr. Reed's advanced age that a red and yellow corn picking tractor would his safest mode of transportation.
Ronnie..........if you keep this cr*p up...I'm gonna come down there with my walker and beat you up with my new cane!!!
Plus.........you are supposed to show respect to your elders!!!!
run Phil run
Have another look at my post Phil, you'll be running to Texas & Ronnie will be in big trouble
Dave
Have another look at my post Phil, you'll be running to Texas & Ronnie will be in big trouble
Dave
brisbane47
Well Known Member
Trip to Texas:
Don't worry, after buying all those Z11 parts, Phil does not have the $$$$$ to get there. Brisbane47
Don't worry, after buying all those Z11 parts, Phil does not have the $$$$$ to get there.
Brisbane47
Hey Bob, I just came upon this E-bay item. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1964...2QQihZ015QQcategoryZ33615QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem It looks like a truck engine to me but the seller says... "the engine is a passenger car engine not a truck engine. The block casting is #3844422." I don't think he's intentionally mis-representing the engine because he included a link to this page from our site. http://www.348-409.com/cgi-bin/block/csvsearch.pl?block=3844422
Anyway, I think that the 422 block, like the 656 was used for both car and truck applications.
Anyway, I think that the 422 block, like the 656 was used for both car and truck applications.
strange one
I've just looked at the Ebay listing....... truck carb because of the govenor on the side of it, truck thermostat housing......... I would say it's been in a truck........
"BUT"....... the lower pass side motor mount hole is not there ???!!!!
Car block that was used in a truck that had side motor mounts ?????
Lets take a head off and see if it blows the theory that all truck engines have the motor mount holes in the front............
bang
Dave
I've just looked at the Ebay listing....... truck carb because of the govenor on the side of it, truck thermostat housing......... I would say it's been in a truck........
"BUT"....... the lower pass side motor mount hole is not there ???!!!!
Car block that was used in a truck that had side motor mounts ?????
Lets take a head off and see if it blows the theory that all truck engines have the motor mount holes in the front............
bang Dave