several dumb 283 questions

dumb question #1: How do I tell if I've got a 283 and not some other small block without taking the engine apart?

Dumb question #2:The casting date on the front of my block say "F041IM". I believe that means it's a 1961 engine but I'm not sure. I couldn't find any other numbers stamped in front of the right cylinder head. Where would I find the ID number of the engine?

Dumb question #3: The reason I question whether the enigine is a 283 is because of the oil filter. I always thought that all 283's came with a canister type filter. I've seen oil filter adapters that allow a modern spin-on filter to be used, but the ones I've seen come with an adapter plate with an O ring to seal it to the original location and 4 bolts to hold it in place. My motor has a threaded hollow shaft screwed in where the canister bolt would normally go. The shaft is held in by a cheap "tin" hex nut. Is this some kind of homemade adapter?
The reason I ask this question is that I've got a leak somewhere at the rear of my motor. I'd hate to pull the motor to do a rear main seal if my problem is only an oil filter.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Here's a site to add to your favs list; http://www.mortec.com/

283's were made through '67, I don't recall exactly when, but the last couple three years they had spin on's

All small blocks can be told apart at a glance by looking at the crankshaft flange....

A 283 crank flange is fully round (circle shaped)
A 327 crank has a notch out of it...Like from 9 O'clock to 12 O'clock

A 350 has 2 notches out...9 to 12 and from 12 to 3... not exactly but quite like that....you'll see if you compare...

there are exceptions like the 307 and 305 that share other cranks but have a different bore size....

mines a 64 and it takes a screw on lol so did my last one a 63 265's are the one that took those cannister kinds and it was an option the 265 isnt even cast for a scre one filter to my knowledge...... AND FOR THE BIGGIE AND THE MOST EASIEST OF THEM ALL lol..........look at the front of your block if your looking at it from the front, on the left side right above the water pump you will see an ear no other motors has this ear except 265 283's and one or two 327's. show me a pic of the front of your block and i can tell u what it is in 2 seconds.......scooter....A.K.A. the 283 guru:3dSMILE: ...p.s. email if ya need more info................

There ya go Scooter. Someday I should build up an old 289 Blue Oval and drop it in a Falcon just so I have something to run ya with!!!!! That is if I ever get healthy enough to do any serious building again......

my 283 is a 1964 it has a spin on oil filter

I have a 1967 283, it has a canister oil filter.

BigDog...
are you sure that the last two stamps are IM? IM is listed as a 69 Impala 350, 250 horse 2bbl with a powerglide

It is more likely an M preceded by the number 1. IF so, the engine is listed as a truck 265 or 283. Since the number before the M is a 1, it is a 283.... a 160 hp 2bbl manual transmission installed in a C10, 20 or 30 ( or a K10, 20, or 30).

mike in tucson

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Dave Severson
There ya go Scooter. Someday I should build up an old 289 Blue Oval and drop it in a Falcon just so I have something to run ya with!!!!! That is if I ever get healthy enough to do any serious building again...... [/QUOUTE]


bring it on:p

Scooter '55 265's had no oil filter and the 283 in my 57 Bel Air was a cannister type that I changed over. :)

there was an option for a oil type filter on the 265 im guessing what you'd call a road draft?:LOL: they showed a picture of a 265 in hot rod an article called old gran dad and on top of the intake was a rather large cannister looking deal with a tube running to it to big to be a fuel filter to me lol so who knows:LOL:

Scooter, a road draft tube is a crank case relife, that was b4 the days of PCV's as PCV's do the same thing, except they recurculate the crank case emmisions into the engine through the carb, a draft tube just lets it out under the car, and when the engine is up to temp, it will emit a little smoke out of the end of the tube. I do belive early 283's had them, and all 265's, but won't swear to it.

I don't remember the exact date, somewhere in the early'60s, but until then all engines had road draft tubes of one sort or another.

Quote:

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Originally posted by gassersrule_196
there was an option for a oil type filter on the 265 im guessing what you'd call a road draft?:LOL: they showed a picture of a 265 in hot rod an article called old gran dad and on top of the intake was a rather large cannister looking deal with a tube running to it to big to be a fuel filter to me lol so who knows:LOL:

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To my knowledge Scooter, '55 265's had no oil filter, but what you saw was a '56 265 with the oil filter, I believe mounted on the intake manifold. at on time there was a conversion to run toilet paper in the cannister.

The '55 265 did have a filter, it was the bypass type like on the Stovebolt sixes. The '56 had the filter boss cast in like all the other SBC's.

Quote:

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Originally posted by R Pope
The '55 265 did have a filter, it was the bypass type like on the Stovebolt sixes. The '56 had the filter boss cast in like all the other SBC's.

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Exactly. And in 1963 the PCV valve and spin on filter was introduced. 1962 and older have road draft tubes and cannisters. The 1955 bypass filter was an option though and not standard equipment. My '55 Bel Air had one but my '55 Corvette didn't. No room to close the hood with that thing sticking up on the manifold with the Vette. I also had a '55 265 in my first car, a 1939 Ford Deluxe 2 door that didn't have a filter.

Tom

casting number on the back side of the block.Then go to mortec.com an look it up it will tell you exactly what you have.Sounds like you have the same type of oil filter adapter i had on my 63 283
Good Luck