WHAT IS A WORKBENCH® BOOK?
This Workbench® Series book is the only book of its kind on the market. No other book offers the same combination of detailed hands-on information and revealing color photographs to illustrate engine rebuilding. Rest assured, you have purchased an indispensable companion that will expertly guide you, one step at a time, through each important stage of the rebuilding process. This book is packed with real world techniques and practical tips for expertly performing rebuild procedures, not vague instructions or unnecessary processes. At-home mechanics or enthusiast builders strive for professional results, and the instruction in our Workbench® Series books help you realize pro-caliber results. Hundreds of photos guide you through the entire process from start to finish, with informative captions containing comprehensive instructions for every step of the process.
The step-by-step photo procedures also contain many additional photos that show how to install high-performance components, modify stock components for special applications, or even call attention to assembly steps that are critical to proper operation or safety. These are labeled with unique icons. These symbols represent an idea, and photos marked with the icons contain important, specialized information.
Here are some of the icons found in Workbench® books:
Calls special attention to a step or procedure, so that the procedure is correctly performed. This prevents damage to a vehicle, system, or component.
Illustrates a method or alternate method of performing a rebuild step that will save money but still give acceptable results.
Illustrates a fastener that must be properly tightened with a torque wrench at this point in the rebuild. The torque specs are usually provided in the step.
Illustrates the use of a special tool that may be required or can make the job easier (caption with photo explains further).
Indicates a procedure or modification that can improve performance. Step most often applies to high-performance or racing engines.
Indicates that a component must be inspected to ensure proper operation of the engine.
Illustrates a precision measurement or adjustment that is required at this point in the rebuild.
Illustrates a step in the rebuild that nonprofessionals may not know. It may illustrate a shortcut, or a trick to improve reliability, prevent component damage, etc.
Illustrates a point in the rebuild where the reader should write down a particular measurement, size, part number, etc. for later reference or photograph a part, area or system of the vehicle for future reference.
Tech Tips provide brief coverage of important subject matter that doesn’t naturally fall into the text or step-by-step procedures of a chapter. Tech Tips contain valuable hints, important info, or outstanding products that professionals have discovered after years of work. These will add to your understanding of the process, and help you get the most power, economy, and reliability from your engine.
CHAPTER 1
ENGINE IDENTIFICATION
Whether you are looking to purchase a Stovebolt for your project or already have one, the most important first step is identifying everything you can about the engine. This will serve you well when ordering parts and perusing parts at swap meets. Again, the desirable years are 1954–1962 with the 1958–1962 being the most desirable because of all the lessons learned by Chevrolet through the years. I encourage you to hold out for those years and purchase the newer engines wherever possible; however, there is more to an engine than its birth date.
Casting Numbers
The first place to start when researching information on an engine is a list of GM casting numbers in the appendix. It is an accumulation of data that has been updated over the years, so you should have no problem finding your Stovebolt in the list.
On the distributor side of the engine there is a treasure trove of information about the engine. Casting numbers appear just below and to the right of the distributor on the passenger’s side. They are notoriously hard to read, and people sometimes mistake a 3 for an 8. Clean the area thoroughly and use a bright flashlight. This is usually a seven-digit number and each letter/number is about 1/2 inch tall. A little engine degreaser and a wire brush often makes reading the casting number easier.
You may find road grime and buildup that fills in the numbers. You can use a good engine degreaser on a shop towel to clean around these numbers. It’s worth the trouble. Be sure to write down these numbers. Later, when you need parts, you will be glad you did.
Under the hood, the distributor’s vacuum advance can often obstruct the view. It’s easier to confirm this number from underneath the vehicle. This is the engine’s main casting number.
Here, “CON3” indicates the conveyor number that the engine came from. The numbers beside it are important for the exact date that the engine was manufactured. Also, of interest here are the captains bars above the starter. Most of the time, with few exceptions, this indicates that the engine is a 261.
The next numbers you need are the ones just below the starter on the passenger’s side: the conveyor number. Beside that is a usually four-digit letter/number combination separated with spaces like this: X XX X. For example, the first X is a letter from A through L (A for January through L for December). The center two digits represent the day of the month. The final digit represents the year that the engine was made within the years represented by the casting numbers below and to the right of the distributor.
The next set of helpful numbers are on the flat part of the distributor deck. This machined area has serial numbers stamped into it. If you have looked very carefully and found no numbers, chances are that your block is classified as a replacement block and has no numbers stamped on that deck.