Larry Spencer Wrote:
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> I’m a member of the GGHS and volunteer mechanic on
> Goose #5. I have many hours of experience over,
> under and inside of the GMC 361 in #5. I am not a
> professional mechanic and much of what we know is
> from OJT and service manuals. Here’s a small
> portion of what I know:
>
> First of all, the manufacturer’s plate clearly
> shows the GMC 361motor in Goose #5, (and the one
> that came out of #7 we got from the CRRM), was
> built in the GMC plant in Pontiac, Michigan.
> (“Built in the USA”) See pix. The REO we got, via
> the CRRM, was built in their plant in Lansing,
> Michigan. (That REO is the one that came out of #3
> at Knott’s Berry farm.) The transmissions for
> these are Spicers that were built by that company
> in Toledo, Ohio “For GMC Truck & Coach Division…”
> in Pontiac, MI. (This info is taken from my own
> photo documentation.)
>
> About 4 years ago we decided we needed an
> additional REO motor as a spare, (at least for
> parts.) So, we (the GGHS) purchased a used REO
> from Winer Motors in Akron, Ohio. This is the only
> one of the bunch that I have direct knowledge of
> being used in an Army truck. It is a “331 REO
> gasoline engine used government surplus.”
>
> I’m in Arizona right now so I can’t check this
> directly but from what I recall it appears that
> REO was in service up until the mid-1960s. One of
> the reasons I chose this motor for a spare was
> that the bell housing was an exact fit to the
> Spicer transmission in #5. That in itself
> indicates to me that that the style REO had been
> in built to military specs and in use since at
> least WWII. I could be wrong…
>
> I hope some of this information helps. I will be
> out of the loop for 10 days…
>
> Larry
>
> Plate on the GMC 361 motor from #7
>
OK, so the thread has not been put to bed. Look at the casting date just to the right of the ID plate. The third character is obscured by a vacuum/oil line. The first character is the letter I translates to the 9th month, September. Second number would be the month date. Only the number 2 is visible. Last number is a 6 which would be 1946. GM only used a single digit for the year. This would be a September 1946 casting date. The motor would not be assembled until days or months after the cast date. Casting dates could be confusing if a particular engine block or head was cast over a 20 year period the 6 could mean 1936-1946 or 1956. What does this prove... nothing. Although the block would also have a casting number. More worthless info, I've been a clssification inspector for NHRA and AHRA, Chevy/Corvette restorer and NCRS judge.Engine numbers tell a story.That's where the term matching numbers on a vehicle come from.
Bill G