Block casting number identification, what year is it?

[David King (kz78hy)]

Hi to all

I have 58 Brougham that does not have the original engine.  The ID area on the RH, front, of the block has been removed.  The block casting number is 1473267.  I'm guessing that it is a 59.  I looked in my 1963 Master parts list and 59 is where those series of part numbers start showing up.  All the part numbers are for engine assemblies, not bare blocks.

Thanks for any insight.

David

[John Washburn CLC 1067]

David,

My casting book shows this number as a 1963 Cadillac 390.

Good Luck.

jw

[Roger Zimmermann]

...and my book tells that it's a '59 to '63 engine block! (Auto Interchange Systems) I have however doubts that this is correct: the '59 regular engine was the last year with external oil filter. From 1960 onwards, the oil filter was on the main circuit; the engine block has to be different. However, the master parts book is telling that the crankcase with fitted pistons has the same part number from 1959 to 1962, with one detail: for 1959, some parts have to be ordered: a plate, a gasket and 3 bolts. I assume that for the spare parts business the block was from the later type and the provision for the oil filter on the main circuit had to be neutralized for 1959.
If your Brougham has the external oil filter it came from a 1959 car; if not, it can be from a more recent vehicle. Is the VIN not stamped on your engine?

Roger

[David King (kz78hy)]

..... Is the VIN not stamped on your engine?

Roger

Thanks Roger

The VIN area/shelf on the block has been removed.  It looks to me like it was torched off, but there are brackets in place, so you can not see it that well into the area.  But for sure, someone has fooled with it as there is no space left for the number.

The block has a screw on filter on the right side, so it must be a 60 to 63 engine.

Thanks for the help.

This is parts car 586.  494 has the correct block and 615's correct engine is currently out for rebuild.

David

[Warren Rauch]

 Since you have three Broughams  you know these cars have a lot of differences from the others of the same year. THe main parts book doesn't cover the Brougham only parts  which the engine block  ,right cylinder head and oil filter are some.  Without a serial the best way to ID a Cadillac engine is the engine unit number. It is located to the rear of the the left cylinder head on a cast rib parallel with the crankshaft for models about this year. A little newer cars have it toward the center but still in the rear of the block.It seems that Cadillac didn't even include the Brougham codes in the main parts book. For 57 the number starts 70S1 & up,for 58  :80S1 &up, for 59 : 96S1 &up and 60 : 0QK1 & up. THe 1960 code was used by other models ,because the the engine was no longer Brougham only (the 1959 engine only differed from the standard engine in this code and the serial aswell).The codes for most models are listed in the front of Cadillac parts books. Warren

[Aaron]

I have a number of 1481283. Anyone know what it is? I believe it came out of a miller-meteor ambulance? My father in law said it was a  390, but I do not know what year. Thanks.
Aaron