Hello everyone. I am a new member. Just signed up because I figured this is where I could get the answer to this question.

I see a lot of vettes advertized witrh CE blocks. What does that mean?

I am in the market for a '66 convertible (who isnt??) and was curious what the CE means.

Thanks,

John

 

My understanding was thata CE engine was a warrantyreplacement engine.

-Rich

 

Thanks Rich. I also found an article stating it was a GM replacement block, although the article could not confirm that it was specifically warranty related. (Or if anyone could buy one of them)

 

CE is often defined as Chevrolet Engine. The CE block was a service replacement engine that may have been a warranty item due to price. The engine pad carries a CE code instead of the traditional codes on production engines. The first number indicates the year and the next five digits are a sequential numbering for the unit that year. 20,000 to 49,999 is for Flint-built V8s. 50,000 to 79,999 is for Tonawanda-built V8s.

The VIN is usually not stamped in the pad, but occasionally is in a very rough manner, often misaligned and irregular depth, due to being handstamped at the dealer, if at all. These are relatively rare if in a Corvette within their dating period as they could indicate a Corvette that Chevrolet warranty work was performed on and the original engine was destroyed. These are the only cases of Chevrolet intervening in the life of a Corvette once it left the factory since engine replacement required Chevrolet management authorization and most warranty work is simply handled by the dealer.

There is another school of thought that says.

Apparently, they were simply the new numbering system that Chevy used on all service replacement engine assemblies beginning April 1969, whether short-block, long-block, or whole.
The C stands for Chevrolet, E stands for Engine (T would be Transmission), and the first number is the year. then there is a serial number for the engine, based on the xxxth engine that year. The serial is 20,000 to 49,999 for Flint and 50,000 to 79,999 for Tonawanda. For example, CE950327 is a Chevrolet engine from Tonawanda for 1969 and was the 327th produced, not that it was a 327. (It could be, but that would be an incredible coincidence.)
While this new information eliminates them as warranty-only items, it does not eliminate them from being warranty items. What is meant by service replacement may be a clue. That is why the old stuff, of questionable value now, is still below. Also, with the price of a new assembly from Chevy at several hundred dollars, and a whole engine in a junkyard or from some guy around town at $50 to $100, it is easy to see that in a time of $50 a week paychecks that most blowing an engine would NOT buy a new engine from Chevy. As such, those new ones going in were probably still more rare than most want to believe, and odds are that most were warranty items, simply due to costs.

One last note: The CE Block was always stamped with CE and a number, such as "CE012345". Engines stamped with F1204RF or T0123IM are not CE Blocks. They may be a replacement, and they may have even been installed by a dealer, but the CE Block has the CE first, not last. There may be a VIN number stamped in, as some dealers appear to have done so.

All this being said I would have to say BUYER BEWARE when it comes to claims of an original CE block. True CE blocks are fairly rare to find, and because of all thedifferences in stamping from dealer to dealer,that many believe occured, it is an easy way to "claim" the car has the original motor. Even if the numbers are stamped badly, it "could" still be a CE block, so it's hard to claim that it isn't.
Hope this helps answer your question

 

Thanks Ax, that was interesting, PG