What information can be known from engine number?

[Rocket3pilot]

My 289 gas the serial number stamped on it ...
3
535601
Also has a number stamped by the valley cover

psi887

Thanx for any info.

[StudeRich]

535601 3 = 3rd. shift, is just the raised CASTING number which is the same on all Blocks of that era. It is however a Partial Flow Oil Filter (if any) type block, a 289 and per this chart: http://www.studebakerdriversclub.com/V8EngineID.asp

The Stamped serial number PS1887 however, tells us that it was #1887 the 887th of Model Year 1957 Golden Hawk Supercharged 289's.

A desirable Block for someone who needs a Block for their '57 GH, but not really any different than other 289's without all the "Special" hardware.

[studegary]

Rich gave a good answer, but I will add a couple of points.
As Rich's reply states, what you indicate to be an i (I) represents a 1 (one).
Check your build sheet. That engine block may be original to your 1957 Golden Hawk (likely).

[SN-60]

535601 3 = 3rd. shift, is just the raised CASTING number which is the same on all Blocks of that era. It is however a Partial Flow Oil Filter (if any) type block, a 289 and per this chart: http://www.studebakerdriversclub.com/V8EngineID.asp

The Stamped serial number PS1887 however, tells us that it was #1887 the 887th of Model Year 1957 Golden Hawk Supercharged 289's.

A desirable Block for someone who needs a Block for their '57 GH, but not really any different than other 289's without all the "Special" hardware.

Interesting,...I wouldn't have guessed Studebaker was busy enough to run a 3rd shift during that time period.

[StudeRich]

Interesting,...I wouldn't have guessed Studebaker was busy enough to run a 3rd shift during that time period.

I have never seen it verified as to whether or not the Foundry always used the number before or after the casting number to indicate the shift number or the Mold Number, as they sometimes may have done.

To me it is just unimportant trivia either way. What IS important is, that it means nothing about the final product, and even less to us now.

[Mark L]

My dad told me once that even though the assembly lines sometimes only worked one or two shifts a day, the foundry ran around the clock, even through the weekends and holidays. He said it took too long and too much work to get the furnaces back up to the correct operating temperature if they were allowed to cool, so once they were lit they kept them going at operating temperature as much as possible.

That may be the reason for the switch to the McKinnon engines for the Hamilton-produced cars after South Bend production was ended. The fixed-operating costs to keep the foundry hot to produce a smaller number of engines for Hamilton was not efficient. In other words, the cost to produce one Studebaker engine for a Hamilton car went up when the overall production volume decreased.

Mark L

[SN-60]

My dad told me once that even though the assembly lines sometimes only worked one or two shifts a day, the foundry ran around the clock, even through the weekends and holidays. He said it took too long and too much work to get the furnaces back up to the correct operating temperature if they were allowed to cool, so once they were lit they kept them going at operating temperature as much as possible.

That may be the reason for the switch to the McKinnon engines for the Hamilton-produced cars after South Bend production was ended. The fixed-operating costs to keep the foundry hot to produce a smaller number of engines for Hamilton was not efficient. In other words, the cost to produce one Studebaker engine for a Hamilton car went up when the overall production volume decreased.

Mark L

That all makes good sense.