Thread: Help ID my early small block!

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Exactly! So I guess it will remain a mystery if it started it's life in a corvette. The heads don't have any of the typical high performance markings on front, but early 230 hp corvettes may not have had those anyway. The heads may have been changed, but probably not. Would they tell me anything?

Oh, and can I tell anything from the exaust manifolds? They don't look like their anything special, but they could have been changed to fit into the Ford.

Thanks Streets, hope it wasn't too much trouble for you to find all that.

It appears that it is a 283 block that could have been in vettes from 58-61. And having staggered bolt valve covers it must be a 58 (or 59?) I assume these blocks also could have been in regular chevies too, so I can't rule anything out yet. I know it's got a carter on it, supposidly a 230 horse motor, so that makes sense. It's hooked to a manual now.

Now I need to know where to find the suffix code you listed? I guess that would help now. Would there be different suffix codes if they were in different car lines?


Sorry if I'm asking stupid questions, I'm pretty new to chevy motors.

Well, I don't know what to think now. It is definatly a D and only a D. You can tell the block is perfectly level and the numbers weren't milled off. You can read the TI223D clear as day (deep stampings), and there is nothing after it and nothing to make me think there was ever anything there. Most paint appears original.

Yes, there is a road draft tube on the back. Is that good? I mean, what does that tell me?

The motor was put in in the early 60s, and I know it's never been out of the car sense then, so any machine work, or if the motor was ever taken apart, it would have had to have been done then. With the motor being relatively new at the time, it was probably just dropped in.

What else can I look for? I guess the next step is to pull a valve cover and see what I can see.

Any more ideas?

Just another note on this. The single "D" is a valid code for a '58 two barrel equipped 283. Could be someone put a 4 bbl manifold on an engine originally produced as a 2bbl.
Got the info at this link:
http://www.yearone.com/updatedsingle...s/impala58.jpg

For more information there is a web site for Mortec, Inc. Any casting number can be found on their site. Check the head
casting numbers to find out 2 or 4 barrel, corvette or not.
The date casting number can tell you what year. This information
can also be found on thier site.

Do yourself a favor and look for the side motor mount bosses. If there are none, it is a 55-57. If they exist it is 58 or newer. This is the first and easiest to look at. Any of the pre 70 sbc can have a vette front mount bolted up. The offset valve cover bolts can be confusing because the early had them 55-57, yet my heads have straight across bolts and the heads on my 57 283's casting numbers indicate 57 FI heads (also known as 283 Power Pack)
also, if memery serves me, the first year of the 283 was 57.