Engine: What engine do I have?

[BillC]

I bought what is supposed to be a 289. The number on the front pad is either ground off or never stamped thouroughly. The numbers I DO have are these: On block in front large numbers-1554641 with a 3 on top of them, the 6 might be an 8. On the back of the block on top is 9 11 R. On the back of the block where the trans. will go is 11 6. On the cylinder head is 535976. Any help will be appreciated. Thanks, Will

[doug]

Except for high performance engines, I think the only difference is the crank shaft, rods and pistons between a 259 and 289. The casting numbers may be the same for block and heads. Does the blank surface for serial number have a clover leaf?

[Dwain G.]

The block was cast in late 1962. It has a full-flow oil filtering system. The cylinder heads are from 1955 to 1961. I think they were the lowest rated compression ratio heads available in those years. There is no external difference between a 259 and a 289. You will have to remove a spark plug and look inside a cylinder. A 259 should have flat top pistons, a 289 will have dished pistons. You could also get an approximation on the stroke length by putting something like a soda straw in the spark hole while rotating the engine by hand and measuring total travel.

[cycledog]

Take off a head and measure a cylinder, rotate the crank and measure the stroke and do the math.

[studegary]

Take off a head and measure a cylinder, rotate the crank and measure the stroke and do the math.

Why would you recommend doing all of this work? The bore is the same for 259s and 289s. You can get a close enough measure of the stroke as Dwain indicated in ans. #4.

[cycledog]

Why would you recommend doing all of this work? The bore is the same for 259s and 289s. You can get a close enough measure of the stroke as Dwain indicated in ans. #4.

By the sounds of the original post he said he "bought a 289" meaning, to me, it is not in a car. When I buy an engine I want to know the condition, only one way to find out..pull a head.
If the engine is in a running car yes that is a bit of busy work.

One time I bought what was supposed to be a 350 turned out to be a 348, a destroked 400 small block, the widows husband used in a race car. Ya never know whats inside unless you look. I got a good deal on that one.

[StudeRich]

The Heads are as Dwain said low compression Heads, actually they are 7.0 to 1 Truck Heads, suitable for Supercharged Engines as well.

If there is no Serial number on the flat pad at the left, front, top of the block, it is a Factory Replacement Engine, usually just a bare Block and Piston Assy.

[BillC]

Thanks to all