Been trying to figure out what engine I have.

[1948PLYP15]

I have a 1948 P15 but the engine is not stamped, instead it had a small metal plate riveted in the same spot? Talked to someone yesterday and he said it was probably a tractor or some other equipment. Anyone have any idea to figure what year it is?

[Niel Hoback]

That looks like a rebuilders tag.

[1941Rick]

I would say a rebuilders tag as well.....Model 217A...hmmm maybe a 217?

[1948PLYP15]

Going to rewire and see if she will fire today. The Distributor cap was around a 53

[greg g]

Chrysler sold unnumbered blocks to bebuilders over theyears, folks like Jasper and others. (jasper engines were usualy painted green) The model 217 refers to the internal machining that was done to the engine, such as cylinder overbore and size, and whether the bearings are std or under sized. There have been a few threads regarding the meanings of the model numbers so you might want to do a forum search for the info.

That tag is one I haven't seen before but the 217 model number does not refer to engine size.

And if if runs well and doesn't need a rebuild, just run it.....

[claybill]

when i was a kid in the 40's my dad sold rebuilt motors on the floor at montgomery wards.! there was a v8 and a couple sixes there as i rememebr.

maybe you got one.!!!

[BobT-47P15]

They may have removed this number as well if rebuilt......but these

engines when original have a cast date of manufacture kind of below

the distributor. 6-2-53 (June 2, 1953)

Edited June 6, 2012 by BobT-47P15

[1948PLYP15]

It does have the cast numbers and i think it's 53 as and the head also has a cast number, but i think it ends in 37

[greg g]

a block cast in 53 would have been bored for a 218 or 230 depending on application (plymouth or dodge) you can check the stroke by pulling the plug in the head above #6, inserting a piece of stiff wire and measuring the distance it travels as you trun the engine over by hand. 4 3/8 = 218, 4 5/8 = 230. Then you al least will kow the basics of what your are working with. An engine block cast in 53, may not have been assembled until 54 or even later. They warehoused the things till they were required for assembly, and one being sold un numbered to a rebuilder may have sat for even longer.

[46busboys]

greg says the 217 or 230 does not stand for the engine size but rather what is done to the internals of the engine. I don't buy that explanation. I need a source for this kind of information. I can tell you what the "A" means... page 154 in the 1936-1948 Master parts book ( D-12678 ) says the A means a .020 over bore. I think it is important to have backup when information is stated as fact. Otherwise mis-information gets repeated over and over then pretty soon people start to accept it. No offense meant to Greg at all.

[greg g]

Well folks have been looking for the gospel on this for a while, If A =.020 over bore then my guess would be B = .030 etc.

but Plymouth never called the engine a 217, it was always refered to its rounded up 218 form. And I didn't say anything about 230 except for the stroke measurement.

so if what busboys says you at least know you're dealing with a .020 overbore.

[46busboys]

According to the same page in the Chrysler book I mentioned above th "B" indicates .010 undersize rod bearings. Now this would be in a factory rebuilt engine.

[bbbbbb99]

Why would the engine be cast and it's already a .020 overbore?

[Young Ed]

Chryslers way of saving a slightly defective casting. If it can be saved by a .020 overbore why not use it?

[bbbbbb99]

But that "A" is part of the original casting. See what I'm saying?

Here's a link for engine decoding I have used. I know it's probably not relivant to this thread but What the HEck!

http://www.t137.com/registry/help/otherengines/otherengines.php

[46busboys]

NO that A2 cast in the block is something entirely different. The "A" is stamped on a tag as in 217A .....

[greg g]

There was a picture posted to this forum a couple years ago, came from the Life Magazine archives on Detroit if you want to go looking. It showed mopar flat 6 blocks piled on pallets in the open cout yard of the casting factory. Apparently they aged them like fine cheese. Some of them may have gotten over aged and the bores may have rusted a bit more than would accomodate the standard bore. So they got the overbore treatment by the rebuilder.

A lot of replacement parts you buy weren't graded good enough to make it to the assembly line but passed i nthe the Parts catagory.

[46busboys]

[

A lot of replacement parts you buy weren't graded good enough to make it to the assembly line but passed i nthe the Parts catagory.

That is no doubt true..... I've sure had some questionable OEM repair parts before.

[bbbbbb99]

Somehow, I totally missed the pic in the original post and thought the second pic was the one everyone was referring to. Sorry folks.

[B-Watson]

greg says the 217 or 230 does not stand for the engine size but rather what is done to the internals of the engine. I don't buy that explanation. I need a source for this kind of information. I can tell you what the "A" means... page 154 in the 1936-1948 Master parts book ( D-12678 ) says the A means a .020 over bore. I think it is important to have backup when information is stated as fact. Otherwise mis-information gets repeated over and over then pretty soon people start to accept it. No offense meant to Greg at all.

The 217 refers to the model number Chrysler gave that engine. I have Canadian parts books but they do not show the engine model numbers until the 1951 edition. Model 222 is for a US-built 1951 Plymouth so would be a 217 engine.

Undoubtedly, an engine rebuilder would tag the engine according to Chrysler's specifications - bore, stoke, compression ratio. Any deviations from norm for cylinder bore, main bearings, etc. would be noted by the letters after the engine model number.

"Official" engine builders were located across the US and Canada. For many years Breen Motors in Winnipeg, the Dodge-DeSoto distributor, rebuilt Chrysler engines. Century Motors took over from Breen in the 1950's. Chrysler of Canada had unique rebuild engine numbers that began with "R".