Replacement Engine in 1938 La Salle Touring Sedan

[John Thomson]

The engine in my 1938 La Salle Touring Sedan 2284708 does not have the original engine. The current engine has a stamped number on the left front of the engine.
The number is 1C1862 R. There is no number on the left rear of the block where the matching number to the VIN would be if the engine was original. There is also on the right front of the block 020. I'm new to the forum but from what research I have done. The C indicates a 1938 production. The 1862 is the number of this engine.
I'm not sure what the 1 in front of the C is. The engine type? The vehicle type? or the sequence of the production? The R looks like it was added after the block was produced. Is the R meaning a factory replacement, or that the engine has been rebuilt. I wondered if the 020 is the bore on a rebuild. Any help would be appreciated. John Thomson

[Steve Passmore]

Many of these engines were restamped by engine rebuilders with their own numbers. You say the number is on the left-hand side of the engine (driver side) but where? There's no place on any engine for the number that side.
If the engine has a small flat section in front of the right-hand head above the water pump and that's where the 020 is stamped, I would suggest that's a post 41 engine and the block was skimmed obliterating the original number so they stamped the overbore on there.
If 2284708 is your chassis number? then your engine number would be the same.   Even if it was a wartime engine number it would be on that flat section.