Ben, Picture of the driver's side of the engine in post 24 above. Do you need a different angle? Measuring the block length, 31 1/4, indicates that it is a 248. Started it a couple of more times yesterday afternoon. Fires right up and runs smooth.
263 came out in 1950. Numbers on a pad by the dist. will tell if it's a 248 or 263. Post up the #s and I can tell you what it is.
That is not quite correct. Your measurement only indicates it ISN'T a 320 cid. While there are internal differences between 248 and 263, their general external dimensions are the same. When I saw the pic of your engine, I too thought, "hey that could be a 263".....but it could be just a 248 painted in the 263 color. The stock color for a '38 engine is a medium/dark green metallic.. The engine number should tell the tale. Ray
The engine number, if original, will tell. Also, a pix of the lower driver side will tell. The 263 will have ribs on the cyl walls, front three will go to bottom flange. Water pump outlet will go to block, not head. 1950 248 water pump does same. Ben
I'm not finding a number on the passenger/distributor side of the engine block close to the dist. Maybe I'm just not looking in the right place. There are no ribs on the driver's side of the block, so I am assuming, given the block length of 31 1/4, that it is a 248. Also the water pump outlet goes into the top hose/thermostat housing located on the head.
Are the side motor mount bosses on a 263 a giveaway as well, or did some of the later 248's have side-mounts? My 1937 Special has a front-mount on the 248, and no side-mount bosses.
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