What Size Engine For 1940 Chevy Sedan

	Technical Info for '39-'40
by Barry Weeks, Harold Compton and Charles Hoback

- For Chevrolet's but -

A huge thanks to Barry Weeks, Harold Compton and Charles Hoback for data provided in this section for the tecnical specifications for the 1939 and 1940 Chevrolet trucks. Barry is the '40 Commercial Vehicle Technical Advisor for the Vintage Chevrolet Club of America. Mr. Compton and Mr. Hoback former TA's.

The Engine

The durability and soundness of the blueprint of the "Stovebolt Six" is evidenced by the fact that it was produced in the same basic design from 1929 to 1960. Of form, minor design changes included adding a fourth master begetting and insert bearings forth the mode. Here are some specs on the venerable 216 cid engine to aid you:

Casting Numbers

Engine Numbers

Six-cylinder truck engine block and caput casting numbers. Check here to see if your engine is correct for your yr truck.

1939 engine numbers run 1915447 through 2697267
1940 engine numbers run 2697268 through 3665902

"Stovebolt" Specifications
Valves		In head/2 per cylinder
Cylinders		Six, inline
Diameter and Stroke		iii.5" 3.75"
Piston Displacement		216.5 Cu. In.
Compression		6.25:ane
Horsepower (SAE)		29.4
Horsepower (Brake)		78 @ 3,200 rpm
Torque		170 Lbs-Ft
Firing Guild		i-5-iii-six-2-iv

In both years, the numbers are located on the pad at the rear of the distributor.

NOTE: All truck engines have a "Grand" prefix. Example: Grand*2759129

Vehicle Identification Numbers (VIN)

Assembly Plants with Number

1 = Flintstone, Michigan
2 = Tarrytown, New York
iii = St. Louis, MO
v = Kansas City, MO
vi = Oakland, CA
8 = Atlanta, GA
9 = Norwood, OH
14 = Baltimore, MD
twenty = Van Nuys, CA
21 = Janesville, WI

The trunk plate is located on the firewall nether the passenger side of the hood. The number on the plate is the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) of the truck. Some trucks, like Kevin Bremer'south '39 1/2-ton , don't have this plate and are titled off the engine number (which makes the decision whether to rebuild the original engine or go with a long cake REAL like shooting fish in a barrel).

Here's how to decode a VIN:

6 KC 07 4567*

Break this *hypothetical VIN into these parts:

six ... is the plant identification number (see chart to the correct)
KC ... is the yr and model
07 ... is the month built
4567 ... is the number off the assembly line

So, that particular VIN (not a real VIN) belongs to a 1940 i/two-ton built in July, 1939, at the Oakland, CA, constitute. Information technology was the 4,567th truck off the line.

For an actual 'xl truck instance, try 21 KC 07 11077. This is Barry Weeks' '40 fabricated at the Janesville,Wisconsin establish in July of '40.

21 is Janesville
K is 1940
C is 1/ii ton
07 stands for July (seventh month)
11077 is the sequence number to come up out of that institute

Someone told Barry those numbers start at 1001, but he'southward not certain. Barry's canopy is 3KC0514450 (St. Louis plant, May of '40). Annotation high sequence number, due to being belatedly in the model year run. Production ended in August, simply Barry doesn't think many were made in that month because they would have to re-tool for the upcoming model change. Barry besides has a 21KC0610891. He has some actress titles, including one for a '39. (21 JC 10 1281 - '39 1/ii ton made at Janesville in October of '38) and a 21WA102415 championship, too. (Janesville, '40 1-1/two ton, short wheelbase, October. of '39). Big trucks (utilities) use different letters than low-cal duty (commercial) trucks.

'39 Transmission and Rear Beam		'39 & '40 Bicycle Base
1st Gear	two.94:one	JC,KC (1/ii-ton)	113.5 inches
2nd Gear	1.68:1	JD,KD (three/4-ton)	123.75 inches
3rd Gear	1:1	JE,KE (iii/four-ton HD)	123.75 inches
Contrary	2.94:1	'39 & 'twoscore Tire Sizes
Rear axle type	Semi-floating	JC,KC (1/2-ton)	6.00x16x4 ply
Gear type	Spiral bevel	JD,KD (3/4-ton)	seven.50x15x6 ply
Ratio	4.eleven:1 (3.82:ane was optional)	JE,KE (iii/4-ton Hd)	7.50x15x6 ply

'39 Standard Colors

Some background on paint and colors -- By Keith Salter

CAB & BOX	STRIPE
Black	Silver
Swift'due south Red	Silverish
Export Blue	Silver
Brewster Greenish	Gigolo Green
Apple Green	White
White	Emerald Dark-green
Medium Cream	Black
Aluminum	Export Blue
Armour Yellow	Export Blue
Boatswain Blue	Regal Reddish
Omaha Orange	Chess Blue
Circassion Dark-brown*	Medium Cream

run across besides: Painting Your '39

* For CSUB (with Airedale Brown insert panels)
Belt colors are not known for '39. Fenders, running boards, headlight buckets, wheels and undergear are black on all trucks. All cabs take smooth Thunder Grey interior finish

'xl Color Specifications

(From page 78 of the Chevrolet Service News of 1939, provided by Barry Weeks) "The following colors volition be provided during 1940 on all Passenger Cars and trucks, except the Cabriolet and Station Railroad vehicle which volition exist treated separately.
"All colors are Metal Duco on Passenger Cars except the Maroon, Black, and Kingston Greyness, which colors are High Lustre Duco.
"Striping on Hood and Body Moldings of the Special Delux Passenger Model is not used equally the model has stainless Hood and Torso Moldings."

SYMBOL	Trunk	MOLDING	STRIPE
T-180	#386 Black	#2896276 Omaha Orangish St. Duco	#28950666 Chess Blue St. Duco
T-185	#255 Swifts Red	#2072122 Molding Blackness Duco	#2894202 Argent Silvery St. Duco
T-190	#267 Brewster Green	#2896596 Cream Med. St. Duco	#2893133 Emerald Green St. Duco
T-195	#269 Boatswain Blue	#2894202 Silver St. Duco	#28950165 Totem Scarlet St. Duco
T-200	#257 Apple Light-green	#2896596 Cream Med. St. Duco	#2893233 Emerald Dark-green St. Duco
T-205	#312 Armour Yellowish	#2896276 Omaha Orange St. Duco	#2072122 Molding Black Duco
T-210	#234 Foam Med.	#2897128 Export Blue St. Duco	#2894202 Chess Blueish St. Duco
T-215	#314 Export Blue	#2894202 Silver St. Duco	#28950165 Totem Scarlet St. Duco
T-220	#262 Omaha Orange	#28950666 Chess Bluish St. Duco	#289008 White Striping Duco
T-225	#313 Aluminum (Silver)	#28950165 Totem Ruby St. Duco	#2072122 Molding Black Duco
T-230	#301 Hollywood Tan (Oak. But)	#2072122 Molding Black Duco	#289008 White Striping Duco
T-240	#251 Bordeaux Maroon (T. & Balt.)	#2072122 Molding Black Duco	#SM-681A Gilded Bronze Powder
T-245	#264 White	#28950701 Kildaire Greenish St. Duco	#289008 White Striping Duco

PPG Color Offsets for 'forty Trucks May besides be used on some '36-'46 trucks
SYMBOL	BODY	Original No.	Modern Beginning No.
T-180	Black		-9000
T-185	Swifts Comm Red	DAL-70073	-70073
T-190	Brewster Greenish Med.	DAL-40042	-43845
T-195	Boatswain Blue	DAL-10039	-13599
T-200	Apple Green	DAL-40034	-40034
T-205	Armour Yellow	DAL-80089	-80089
T-210	Cream Med.	DAL-80091	-82142 or 82167
T-215	Export Blue	DAL-10154	-10154
T-220	Omaha Orangish	DAL-60001	-60156
T-225	Aluminum (Silver)	UNKNOWN
T-230	Hollywood Tan	DAL-20017	-23534 (Shade lighter)
T-240	Bordeaux Maroon	DAL-50004	No friction match
T-245	White	UNKNOWN

The DAL prefix in fron tof the original numbes was for direct lacquer

Add together DAR in front end of the offset number for acrylic enamel (Delstar)

Add DAU in front end of the offset number for urethane (Delthane). Barry says it's possible to leave the flattening agent out of the urethane and not clear coat it (to wait original), only you are on your own at that place as he'south never tried information technology...

Wheels are black (Except for the occassional yayhoo who paints them red -- RED?! -- and then, to add together insult to injury, puts huge whitewalls on them!!! I can't mention names of course, but his initials are BW)

'39 Truck Equipment

Standard Equipment:
Engine, 216.5 CID	Harmonic Balancer	AC oil pressure guage
Oil Cleaner, AC screen type	Water Thermostat, Harrison	Vulcanized fabric fan belt
Thermostatic heat control	Carter 11/4" downdraft carburetor	Ac-46 spark plugs
Delco Remy 100 amp, 15 plate bombardment	Delco-Remy starter	Headlamps (sealed beams began in 1940)
Human foot-controlled dimmer switch	Safety drinking glass	Defroster openings
Hydraulic Brakes	Chassis lube fittings (hydraulic)	Front & rear AC shocks
Hand brake	3-speed transmission	Spare tire and wheel
F & R bumpers	F & R license plate brackets	Tool set and jack
Horn (Vibrator)

Optional Equipment
Oil Bathroom air cleaner	Rear Fenders	Hard disk 4-speed manual	Vacuum booster brakes	Back of cab wheel carrier
Economic system Engine	HD radiator	Double acting rear springs	Double acting shock absorbers	De Luxe platform trunk skirt
Long running boards	Low gear axle	Ii-speed rear axle	Long rearview mirror subclass	Frame side-fellow member plate
Sign Console	Frame extension	Screen equipment (canopy limited)	Knee joint-action shocks (sedan delivery, coupe pickup)
Steel platform	Aux. Springs	Cowl and dash with windshield	Correct paw forepart seat and rearview mirror (for canopy express and panel trucks, I think)

Unit of measurement Capacities

	1/two-Ton	3/4-Ton	i-Ton/1 1/2-Ton	Utilize:
Crankcase	v Qts	5 Qts	5 Qts	20-W or 10-W*
three-Spd Trans	1.5 Pts	one.v Pts	North/A	Due south.A.E. xc**
4-Spd Trans	vi.5 Pts	6.v Pts	6.5 Pts	S.A.E. xc**
Rear Axle	4.5 Pts	four.v Pts***	ix Pts	Due south.A.E. ninety**

* Apply 20-W when temperature is above -10 degrees F, 10-W when below -ten degrees F. Be conscientious non to utilise modern, multigrade engine oils as they have been known to go out deposits and cause buildup on the bandage iron pistons of the 216.
** When extremely low winter temperatures are encountered, use S.A.E. 80. For heavy Summer use in hot temperatures, use S.A.Due east. 140
*** For 3/4-Ton and 3/4-Ton Special, use S.A.Eastward. 90 Hypoid Lubricant

v. Nov 2000


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