Casting date question

Frankvintagefullflowcom

This one is for the Gurus of casting dates. The attached photo shows the casting date tag on a 212. May I assume that it's Jan., 2 of 1941?
Also, I have intake manifolds with casting dates on the underside, one of which is April Fool's Day of 1946.....that one makes sense, but the other is August 29, 1949. Was Hudson still producing "spares" for the 212 six that long after cessation of 212 production?
Frank

Ric West IN

Thanks for the picture of the splasher 6 casting #.   This is the first sample that I have seen that did not follow a consistant numerical pattern from pre war to post war.  I'm not suprised considering this is Hudson we are studying.   My 5 samples covering the period from dec. 39 throughSept of 1942 all have the #  159547.

Looks like some more samples from this period would be desireable.  Frank, do you know what this block was used in?  motor #/serial number may help.

Thanks,   (I think)

"Ric "

Frankvintagefullflowcom

Ken,
Hmmmmmmmmm, let's see......1,2,3,4,5,6. Yup it's a six. These were both removed from 212s by me, just a few days prior. When I start confusing 212s with 254s ......bury me.
Ric, I found the casting No. on the block to be a possible mis-match for the casting date, according to my info, but had no info to pursue it further.
The serial numbers on the two engines from which these manifolds were removed, give no clues due to extreme rust damage on one, and an odd, non-Hudson, stamping on the other. My guess on the latter is that it's a dealer number in Oregon stamped on a replacement engine.
These were engines from a fellow Hudson Club member who supplied them as candidates for rebuild and their history is unknown.
I have a few other 212s here so I'll have a look at the casting and date code numbers for addition to your list. They're all post war examples bearing their original s/n's.

You're welcome.....I think.
Frank

Frankvintagefullflowcom

K,
I guess the word gets around.......Long story, but yes, the engine I selected for overhaul will be his.
I didn't get a response to the question about the block casting date code in the photo. Was I correct with that? I assume an Aug. '41 casting would have been used in a '42 model......possible even a '46 which would explain the '46 date on the intake manifold. I realize that these engines may have undergone much mixing- and-matching of parts over the years so that manifold may have come from something else at some point. Both of these engines had evidence of extensive work (not always "repairs") since new. Some of the worst work I've ever seen. No matter, since it will all be corrected.
F

Ric West IN

Yes  Frank,  your translation of the date code on the engine was correct.  So far all of the splasher sixes

that I have seen from 1939-1947 have been poured by CWC, Campbell,Wyant &Cannon of Muskegon

Michigan. If you have some from this era with other company symbols I would be happy to add them to my list.

Some of the early 30's blocks have the "H"  symbol.  Does anyone know for sure who poured those blocks?

Did Hudson have their own foundry ??? Trying to learn all I can

"Ric"   ( not Indiana)   but Mich.  

 

 

Ric West IN

Oops,  forgot to addressthe date code issue.  A21 translaates to January 2nd, 1941. 

Just reread all postings , You were correct on the first post.  The later one (Aug. ) not so much.

For myself I would blame a "Senior" moment. 

 

"Ric"

TwinH

For what its worth I find it really odd that Bohnalite would be pouring 212 intakes in August of 49 too. Would make more sense to me that someone put the six upside down on the pattern tag that day in 1946.

Frankvintagefullflowcom

Frankvintagefullflowcom

T/H,
That would explain that oddity.
I have a few more, a couple of them interesting to me.
193) Mar. 24 of 1947. This one is the original engine from our '47 C-6, so it makes sense. Too bad I couldn't use it. It had a horrible crack, presumably from freezing before I had it.
192) Here's a Dec. 26, 1945 212 block, evidence that Hudson wasted no time getting back to the civilian job of producing cars. These guys were back at it the day after Christmas. The head off of this engine echoes that with a Nov. 28 casting date.
I wonder what was the earliest date after the war?
Someone should check to see if Aug. 29th of 1946 was a Monday.
Frank

Frankvintagefullflowcom

Oops. I never know what this forum thing will do with my posts. The two previous ones were supposed to be in one post. Oh, well.
Frank

Frankvintagefullflowcom

So much for that theory.

RL Chilton

August 30th was the first day of production.  I believe 30 cars were made that day.  Engine cores could have been left-overs from pre-war.  Raw cores were stood up out in a field (not sure location of field) and "cured" for an indeterminate amount of time.  Come Post-war, some of the leftover blocks could have been stamped with the current day's code.  Just a theory of mine . . .

Frankvintagefullflowcom

RL,
If you are referring to the apparent 1945 date, it appears in the "cast-in" tag, not the stamped s/n.
Certainly there were '42 date-code block castings that didn't make it into vehicles 'til '46......maybe some '41 codes as well.
Just for fun, I guess I should have looked at the s/n as well......if it's readable.
F

Ric West IN

Russ,    Yes on the curing, variable time  2-5 weeks on most.  (at least blocks from CWC)

Date codes were not stamped but were inserted and became part of the pattern/mould.

Casting number for post war splasher 6's  165610   40-42  is 159547.  This one of Franks,(top of thread)

is the first I have seen with this casting #.  Sure would like to see more samples especially of pre war

splashers.

Any assistance is appreciated.

"Ric"

RL Chilton

Thanks for the information.  In that case, my post is irrelevant.  

Frankvintagefullflowcom

Just to see how long I can drag this out, here's another. This one has somewhat known history in that it came from a '46 C-6 (Model 52) and bears s/n 32******. This is the casting date code, H 21 6, on that block. I rebuilt it to replace the badly cracked original, s/n 172**** (C 24 7 above). With an  "H" month code, it must have been a late production block for a '46.
F

Geoff

Aug. 21st 1946 most likley

Frankvintagefullflowcom

I was aware of the meaning of the code, I was just wondering if it was late for a block that would eventually be in a '46 vehicle. Blocks cast in late '46 could well show up in '47 model cars/trucks so they would so they would be '46 date-code blocks in 17* s/n vehicles. I'll bet no one cares. I'll stop digging now.........
F

53jetman

I DON'T REMEMBER THE EXACT DATES, BUT I BELEIVE THE ACTUAL ANNOUNCEMENT DATE OF THE '47 MODEL CARS WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY LATE IN THE 1946 YEAR (like early Dec. 1946), SO IT WOULD SEEM TO ME THAT AN ENGINE CASTING DATE OF AUG 21, 1946 WOULD HAVE MOST CERTAINLY BEEN PLACED IN A PRODUCTION CHASSIS FOR A VERY LATE 1946 MODEL CAR !

Frankvintagefullflowcom

J,
That's the sort of info I was curious about. I suppose announcement dates varied depending on what was happening in the auto world and the HMC world, particularly.
TNX for the comment.
F