Belly Number

Identification of case numbers and cylinder heads
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chuck 56 pan
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Belly Number

#1

Post by chuck 56 pan »

Pulled the motor for some bottom end work, sat down with the palmers book and read about the belly numbers. motor is to be a 56FLH . The first three of the Belly are 118, then the rest match my vin sequence. From what I read, this would be bogus numbers, but Im not that educated on this subject. What could 118 stand for. any comments will be appreciated.
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Re: Belly Number

#2

Post by 1950Panhead »

A 56 belly starts 156-
If you post a vin photo several of us can tell you factory stamp or not.

Jerry
chuck 56 pan
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Re: Belly Number

#3

Post by chuck 56 pan »

vin and belly stamps.
Copy of vin stamp.jpg
Copy of vin stamp.jpg (25.64 KiB) Viewed 4448 times
Copy of belly #.jpg
Copy of belly #.jpg (17.03 KiB) Viewed 4447 times
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Re: Belly Number

#4

Post by hplhd »

both cases have that 118?
chuck 56 pan
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Re: Belly Number

#5

Post by chuck 56 pan »

Yes, both match and without any signs of tampering.
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Re: Belly Number

#6

Post by caschnd1 »

You said: "The first three of the Belly are 118, then the rest match my vin sequence."

The last part about the belly number matching the VIN sequence is disturbing. VIN and belly numbers are not supposed to match in any way.

-Craig
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Re: Belly Number

#7

Post by kitabel »

X2 - they never match.
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Re: Belly Number

#8

Post by Cotten »

Like it was a carved-in-granite rule at the Factory,.. right, Folks?
(Reminds me of chromed tanks being impossible.)

I look forward to Eric's take on this...

...Cotten
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Re: Belly Number

#9

Post by HD48FL »

Cotten wrote: I look forward to Eric's take on this
Same here!
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Re: Belly Number

#10

Post by PanPal »

I look forward to Eric's take on this...
Me3
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Re: Belly Number

#11

Post by chuck 56 pan »

Folks, May I also point out the belly numbers "118" are not the same stamps as the sequence 1046. look closely at my poor picture and you can see the numbers "1" in the 118 are wider than the "1" in the sequence, and look almost cast into the case and not stamped at all.
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Re: Belly Number

#12

Post by RUBONE »

The first portion of belly numbers and the second portion are stamped at different times. The engine number is also stamped as different portions. As for belly and VIN matching, they seldom if ever do, but they can. They both start as 1000 and go up, however the belly numbers are stamped as the cases are matched and finish machined, the year and model portion of the VIN goes on, and the number sequence last. In the '60s during the "odd/even" rule years the belly and VIN differ greatly. But on small production years and close to the beginning of the run they tend to be much closer.

The numbers on the cases in question do not follow any known sequence of numbering. The belly numbers are not factory stamped in that sequence which makes the VIN doubly suspect.

But there are those who feel everything is possible and that any anomaly can be explained easily by claiming it was a special favor to a select customer. :roll:
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Re: Belly Number

#13

Post by Cotten »

Folks,

Please ask yourself: Why would anyone go to so much trouble to fudge an anomalous belly number?
Particularly if it seems to invalidate the VIN?
Where's the motive?

My pretext on the chrome tanks thread was that factory people were human: Humans are not perfect beings.

Those who would dismiss every stumble from the factory as a modern felony only promote their own egos, and not the obvious. They would rather dismiss all traces of fallibility, for it threatens their overwhelming blind faith, and their stature as "experts".

....Cotten
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Re: Belly Number

#14

Post by FlatHeadSix »

folks,
the MOST questionable issue here seems to be the first three digits of the belly number: 118. Nobody has addressed that or ventured a guess as to what that could possibly indicate. My guess is that the belly numbers are non-factory and the only one that could explain them is the guy that stamped them.
again, where is Eric?

mike
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Re: Belly Number

#15

Post by kitabel »

on small production years and close to the beginning of the run they tend to be much closer

That's like the Abbott & Costello joke about marrying the little girl...

I'll give you an analogy.
2 cars begin a race at the same time.
One car is always faster.
When are the 2 cars in the same place?
NEVER.
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