Buddy has a 65 with wrong year motor trying to figure out what it is . I think it's a 62 but passenger side # 4194225 . Any ideas o No: Thanks , Mike
Does it have the two letter code stamped in front of the valley pan? If it's a 65 it should start with L - LT, LR, LX, etc... Heres a link to a doc that breaks down the codes: http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.php?67321-1953-1966-Nailhead-info-Casting-numbers-amp-engine-codes If it was a 62, wouldnt he have starter mounting issues? Unless he's running a Dynaflow, it probably has to be a 64 or newer...
Open this link and look at the picture, no need to read the text, it doesn't apply to the picture. http://www.teambuick.com/reference/ident_engine_where.php Once you've located the Production Code number on the picture, go find the two letter (no digits) code and go back and look at Doc's link with the list of codes. If you don't want to do that, here's a link from the same site as above for the codes. http://www.teambuick.com/reference/ident_engine_59-62.php The 4 in the VIN probably stands for LeSabre (model 4400) and the letter is for the year. Using the production code from above to find the year, go to this link and click on that year. http://www.teambuick.com/reference/index.php When the new window opens, you'll find a link to the VIN. That will tell you exactly what car the engine came from, where it was built, and the sequence in which it was built. There's not one number that tells you everything, but the best place to start is with the Production Code Number and go from there. If you're browsing around the Teambuick site, take a look at casting numbers; you'll probably be surprised at how much overlap there is from year to year. Remember a casting is just that; it's nothing special until it's been machined. Russ Martin's website has a very good explanation about which of the four 401 starters will work on your engine as well as guiding you as to which water pump you'll need. All 401's are not the same. Differences from year to year - oil pumps, pans, pickups, etc. More than just Dyaflows and ST400 crankshafts and flexplates. Here's one page from one link. Once you're in, start studying. http://nailheadbuick.com/tech-info I especially like this page to start the confusion http://nailheadbuick.com/how-to-know-what-sizeyear-nailhead-you-are-looking-at Ed
It's not a VIN or serial number because it is only seven digits long and the VIN was 9 digits for 1954-1964. If its located on the passenger side of the engine and stamped so it looks upside down when looking towards the rear of the car, then it is the production code. The production codes for 1962 were 6I, LI, I, HI, L2I, 2I, L4I, and 4I. Here is a picture of a production code stamp from a 1959 engine with a similar date code and a link to list of production codes that includes all engines. http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.p...a-401-or-425&p=1924683&highlight=#post1924683
The 4F fits with the production code for a '59 401. Now familiarize yourself with the other differences between the '59 401 and the other 401's made until the last one was made in '66. As I stated earlier, the other numbers are not meaningful. Someone once came up with the idea that they related to which shift produced the engine, but no one has ever come up with anything factual. Just curious, what are the numbers in the same place but on the driver's side of the engine?
The other side of the engine contains the 9 digit serial number, as shown in the attached picture for this particular 1959 engine. It's very easy to confuse the serial number and production code for 1959-1962 because the production code can contain letters and numbers and varies between 1-3 digits, not including the trailing numbers. Starting in 1963 all of the production codes were two letters followed by the approximate build date which is three numbers. The date code has been discussed before in this thread too: http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.php?271849-What-does-this-engine-code-look-like-to-you
If you read the HAMB page on Nailhead ID that Ed posted, I'd like to add one thing to it. All 264 and 322 Nailheads had round exhaust ports, the 364, 401, and 425s had rectangular exhaust ports. Strangely, the smaller 264 and 322 had a larger bellhousing bolt pattern then the later 364 and up Nailheads.
yep,,, what John said.....dont get caught in the bell housing trap,,, I did that once with a Ford.... a 289 will not bolt up to a 260 bell housing,,, and vice versa....:Brow: built a good little engine and when I swung it over in the car, like Johnny cash said,,''all the bolt holes were gone..''......:Brow::laugh:
