Please help identifying a 1930 something inline line 6

[1937 olds]

  I have 1930 something inline line 6 with a engine casting number 408004-2. Not sure what it is out of but it is in need of a rebuild. It is in a 1937 F37 Oldsmobile. We know it’s not the original motor to the car. Can anyone help please. On the block where the gasket is there is a stamped number (36) on it. Please can anyone help.

[rocketraider]

www.antiqueolds.com and search website for model year advisors. 

 

Going by "36" my guess is a 1936 engine which is quite different than 1937. 1936 6 is 213ci, 1937-40 is 230ci. There are some 197 and 221ci engines in early-30s Olds too.

 

Good luck.

[Rusty_OToole]

What is the serial number? Should be stamped on the block someplace. Look for a raised pad with stamped numbers, you may have to use a scraper and wire brush to find it.

[GARY F]

According to my parts book for those years a 36F block casting number should be 407070.  A F-37 6cyl block casting number should be 408197.  I don't see your number listed for any between 34 and 41. It might be later than 41 or possibly a Pontiac block.

[Bloo]

How about  pictures?

 

The 1936 Olds engine is very different that the 1937. I believe the 1937 Olds is a whole new engine design, and even it isn't, it looks different. The 1937 has fully enclosed water jackets and the oil filler is in a different spot.

 

The Pontiac six was all new in 1935, and the 1935 (only) did not have fully enclosed water jackets. On 1936-1954 they are fully enclosed. 1935 through 1939 (or so) had an Indian head cast into the side of the block on the left side toward the rear,

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[1937 olds]

The motor may not have been an olds motor all it says on the right side of the block is

GM 408004-2. I have looked all sides and that is all I can find. I did find a stamped number 36 where the gasket would go. I will get pictures and post them as soon as I can. Thank you to everyone who is trying to help. I have searched the internet top to bottom but can’t find anything before 1940’s.

[Rusty_OToole]

I have never heard of a car or truck engine that did not have a serial number stamped on it someplace. It is the best way to ID any engine.Sometimes you can look up model, make, year, specifications, even what factory it was built in and when just by the serial number. Casting numbers can tell you a little but are much harder to look up and then the same casting could have been used for thousands of motors with different specifications.

[Larry Schramm]

5 hours ago, 1937 olds said:

  I have 1930 something inline line 6 with a engine casting number 408004-2. Not sure what it is out of but it is in need of a rebuild. It is in a 1937 F37 Oldsmobile. We know it’s not the original motor to the car. Can anyone help please. On the block where the gasket is there is a stamped number (36) on it. Please can anyone help.

 

Pictures would be helpful.  Good ones on all sides with pictures of any casting numbers, stamped numbers, etc... 

Edited February 4, 2021 by Larry Schramm (see edit history)

[1937 olds]

Rusty oTool stamped casting number is GM 408004-2 and that is all I can find. The motor is out and on an engine stand. Not sure what vehicle it came out of. It is not the original motor was replace many years ago. 

[1937 olds]

Here are some pictures of the motor

[rocketraider]

I thought blocks from that era had either OLDSMOBILE or the Olds oval logo cast in but that may be the 8s.

 

Bad as I hate to say it, this is a case where the streetrod/"modernization" crowd can be your friend. Someone may be trashing a usable drivetrain in favor of a boring LS upgrade and you might find a correct Olds 230 block for cheap.

 

Looking in Nov/Dec 2020 NAOC magazine, someone has a professionally rebuilt 1938 6 for sale, asking $3500, in northwestern Ohio. If you want details I'll PM you.

[Guest]

The third picture shows what looks like a machined surface on the upper side of the block near the front.  All the numbers you show are casting numbers.  What we need is a stamped number which would be on a machined flat surface.

[Bloo]

That is a 1937 or later Olds six of some sort. It has the characteristic bulging look to the water jacket, the core plugs are in the right place, the oil filler tube is in the right place, etc.

 

.

[Larry Schramm]

The water pump number shows up for an Oldsmobile 36-37 engine.  

 

https://www.ebay.com/p/28011613441

[PONTIAC1953]

1 hour ago, Bloo said:

That is a 1937 or later Olds six of some sort. It has the characteristic bulging look to the water jacket, the core plugs are in the right place, the oil filler tube is in the right place, etc.

 

.

this engine has a Hydra-Matic Drive transmission mated to it, no Hydra-Matic trans until 1939 or 1940 for Oldsmobile, the very first semi automatic trans in 1938 Oldsmobile was known as the safety transmission. so this engine is not a 1937 engine.

[kbeach]

Does the head gasket have a number on it?

[Bloo]

1 hour ago, pontiac1953 said:

this engine has a Hydra-Matic Drive transmission mated to it, no Hydra-Matic trans until 1939 or 1940 for Oldsmobile, the very first semi automatic trans in 1938 Oldsmobile was known as the safety transmission. so this engine is not a 1937 engine.

 

Correct, but I was referring to the original poster's engine as being a 1937 or newer. What I was driving at with the HydraMatic picture is that Oldsmobile 6 cylinder blocks all look nearly alike from 1937 until much later, probably until the end of production. The original poster's engine (in post #10) is an Oldsmobile engine from 1937 or later. It is definitely not older and definitely not a Pontiac.

 

Edited February 4, 2021 by Bloo (see edit history)

[nzcarnerd]

According to The Standard Catalog the engine number is stamped on the 'top left corner of the block'.

 

This engine looks to have a machined surface on the horizontal upper corner of the block - next to the water outlet - 

 

 

 

[PFindlay]

The serial number should be on the flat surface circled in the picture below.  You may need to clean it off with a little steel wool.

 

The 230 engine used in 1940 (maybe earlier) had a large '230' cast right into the head.  You can't miss it.  In 1941 they bored it out to 235 and these heads do not have the engine size indicated on them.  Yours could be '41 - '48.

 

Peter

 

 

 

 

[ramair]

I am rebuilding a 1936 gmc 1/2 ton pickup engine which uses the 36 olds 213.  You will not find a logo for olds on 36 or 37 blocks, I can speculate that since GMC was also using the engine they did not want to confuse.  Someone pointed out that the raised tab on the front of the block is for serial number and that is correct.  All GMC application the serial number starts with a letter T. 1936 blocks were the last of the 213 ci. They also have a distinctive casting were you can see the outline of all six cylinders the 1937 have that bulging water jacket that now extends down and covers that area.  I will speculate that improved cooling, I say that since it took me years and much shipping expenses to find a uncracked block(the 36 crack is internal) a few side notes on differences between Olds app and GMC. Different water pump, non vacuum advance distributor on GMC, different starter, generator, clutch, flywheel,throw out, ring gear and motor mounts

[1937 olds]

I just found the engine # can anyone help me please. Number is T77429.

thany you  for all your help

[rocketraider]

Going by ramair's info above I think you have an engine that was originally installed in a 1937-40 GMC truck. GMC were using Olds engines during that time as they did off and on thru late 50s.

 

Ramair, are there any internal differences between Olds car and GMC truck engine applications? That's what OP needs to get his machine work done and parts ordered.

[ramair]

Oh my! I apologize I did not see this post until now and I am tardy. What I discovered while gathering parts for my 1936 GMC was that there were no internal part differences between truck and Oldsmobile cars between 1934 and 1936, I would assume that this would be true with the next series starting in 1937.  Buying spare engines for my project , both truck and car allowed me to see how GM adapted from car to truck.  Most of the accessories had to change like the water outlet on the head had to meet the radiator outlet at a different angle. The need for a heavy duty clutch required a different flywheel and bell housing for a huge ball bearing throw out.  The GMC trucks/ pickups used the Chevrolet cab which was designed for the stove bolt six, the Chevy engine had the carb on the drivers side and the olds engine has the carb on the passenger side.  GMC had to create a pretty complex Lever pivot system that uses the head bolt to hold down In order to operate throttle and return spring, other than distributor,starter, generator and motor mounts it is the same.  Last fun fact, remember when I said the GMC used the new for 1936 Chevrolet metal cab ( minimum wood)?, well the sheet metal firewall was indented to fit the Chevy engine.  Every 36 GMC including mine has a factory modification and no two are the same as a large sledge hammer was used in a small area were the rear engine head Apparently rubbed against the firewall.  Around twenty years ago I talked to a guy who pulled his engine out and restored his truck cab, including straightening that banged up section, well you guessed what he had to do to get his engine back in.

[rocketraider]

No good deed goes unpunished!😄

[jim43]

Didn't GMC use Pontiac V-8s during the last half of the 50s?  380 something in cu. in. When did the overhead valve GMC 6 cylinder start? Most definitely not the Chevy stove bolt 6.  The GMC overhead 6s enjoyed considerable success in racing in the 50s with considerable speed equipment  made for them as well as individual experimenting. Dirt trackers and sprint cars.   JIm43

[Dave Bang]

The restored dark green engine with the hydramatic trans attached is probably 1946-48... the steel thermostat housing on the head is same as my 1946 engine. Earlier 1937-39 had a cast iron housing.