Engine Identification - year, make/model

[B Readling CLC#25871]

Can anyone assist me in the identification of this engine? The serial number appears to be 1G31652. I believe is not the original engine but a replacement 346 cubic inch engine manufactured for government or military use.  Does the "G" in the serial number stand for government property?   Can overhaul kits be found? Can anyone estimate the year?  Any information you can provide is most appreciated.

[Steve Passmore]

Thats certainly war time cylinder heads but Im not sure the engine is. What you have a picture of is not the engine number, that on the rear of the bell housing near the base of the distributor tower if the moter is pre war and on a flat plate above the water pump if its a war time or later engine.

[tozerco]

I'm gonna have a guess that you've got one of these:

[tozerco]

See this too, in which case I am going to disagree with Steve and say the 1G number is indeed your engine number. You could confirm by checking the other end in the location Steve refers to (and this extract from the "tank" manual:

[Steve Passmore]

I bow to your superior knowledge of these military engines John, I have never seen the number in that position stamped on the rear of number 8 cylinder or a war time engine without the flat above the water pump, but the number certainly ties up. One learns something new every day,.

[P W Allen CLC# 20193]

Here's how they looked installed in a tank. Notice how the water pipes on the heads are on the distributor end of the engine in this application. I wonder if they made different heads for this or did they just flip them left for right??

[Steve Passmore]

They made many different heads for different engine applications, these engines also went into motorised gun platforms which are the closest I have seen to the domestic engines and fit the easiest.

[B Readling CLC#25871]

Please keep talking guys,I'm still learning. Would I be right to assume that any overhaul parts,pistons,rings or whatever for a 346 cu? In. Will work in this engine?

[tozerco]

Great photo Paul. Haven't seen that one before. The engines in your photo, however, are the later 3G models - see below. Just imagine three of these babies in a "clover leaf" arrangement in the same engine bay - that's how they were arranged in the Australian produced Cruiser Tank. The third one was for reverse only.

If that isn't interesting enough, imagine three arranged around the same crankcase! That was the set up for the Perrier Cadillac engines in the Thunderbolt tanks, prototypes only of which were produced in Australia before they were scrapped in the early 1940's when US tanks became freely available. There is one of these in the local War Museum. Wish I could get the lid taken off one just for some photos. Still trying to bet the Museum to see the importance of this but it ain't high on their lsit of priorities.

[tozerco]

Brady,

If that has whet your appetite, here's a few photos of the production/testing of both the earlier Mk 1, 2 and 3 tanks with the three Cadillac engines and the later Mk IV with the Perrier Cadillac engine. The hull that you can see being "dressed" in the foundry was a single casting. The turrets off to the left in another photo were another casting.

[tozerco]

Two photos went missing for some reason....

[tozerco]

....and finally:

[B Readling CLC#25871]

I offer my thanks for the replies concerning this engine. Would anyone have an idea as to what year this engine is? does anyone have any ideas on what would be the proper color for this thing? I have found,green red and blue on it so far.Thanks for any help offered.

[tozerco]

Your engine was built in 1942 and it would have been the Flathead Cadillac Green.

If you want to be super precise, there is a strong chance that by 1942 the Chromium Yellow had been removed from the pre-war Flathead Cadillac Green paint because Chromium (used to make the mere trace of Chromium Yellow in the pre-war flathead paint colour) had become a super precious wartime commodity. I defy anyone to pick between the two with the naked eye, though, because it was the faintest trace...

Just mentioning it because  if you were, for example, to buy the modern Bill Hirsch Flathead Cadillac Green paint it doesn't have the Chromium Yellow in it either and should, therefore, be a perfect match for your engine.... unless the US removed the Chromium Yellow after 1942.... but I don't think so.