Chevy engine blocks origin ?

FED 387 · 05-01-2018, 08:12 PM

Possibly Toluca Mex foundry

Ed Carpenter · 05-01-2018, 08:49 PM

My dad worked at the Flint plant for 18 years.

Pat6868 · 05-02-2018, 06:39 AM

At the St.Catharines Ontario plant we assembled 1500 small block engines in an 8 hour shift using blocks cast on site in the foundry. This was mid to late 70''s.

Glenn Briglio · 05-02-2018, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pat6868

At the St.Catharines Ontario plant we assembled 1500 small block engines in an 8 hour shift using blocks cast on site in the foundry. This was mid to late 70''s.

How many people were assembling engines?

Pat6868 · 05-02-2018, 06:21 PM

Two assembly line's, can't recall total number of workers. Iirc engines came by 3 or so a minute, we had 16 guys pushing pistons. It was 40 years ago.

FED 387 · 05-02-2018, 06:24 PM

1500 per shift thats about 190 engines per hour or 3 engines per minute-- no standing around here folks--

Tim H · 05-02-2018, 07:12 PM

Further to this discussion,I found this post on the NCRS site

When I was the Senior Process Engineer at the Chevrolet Pilot Line in Flint in '66-'69, a good friend was the supervisor of the Piston Department at Flint V-8 next door, and I spent time there on several occasions. They didn't stamp the rods and caps when they machined the rods and made up the piston/rod assemblies for the engine assembly lines at 2400 rod/piston/pin/ring/bearing assemblies per hour; they just placed the size-gaged cam-ground pistons in the correct position in the 8-piston conveyor trays to match the teleprocessed bore sizes for that engine from the bore air-gage station at the head of the line.

Pat6868 · 05-02-2018, 08:16 PM

At St. Catharines blocks would come down line upside down. Bore size was stamped on pan rail ( A,B,C ) etc. Workers would choose matching piston-rod assembly and install main bearings. Then place in order beside engine. Then we would pop them in and install cap and nuts.

Bruce Fulper · 05-03-2018, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pat6868

At St. Catharines blocks would come down line upside down. Bore size was stamped on pan rail ( A,B,C ) etc. Workers would choose matching piston-rod assembly and install main bearings. Then place in order beside engine. Then we would pop them in and install cap and nuts.

Ya think all those ring end gaps were in position? :-)

Pat6868 · 05-03-2018, 06:12 PM

If there ever was a mass produced corporate small block engine better than the Chevy's that were built in St.Kitts I haven't seen it.

05-01-2018, 08:12 PM	#1
FED 387 VIP Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 3,423 Likes: 538 Liked 333 Times in 180 Posts	Re: Chevy engine blocks origin ? Possibly Toluca Mex foundry

05-01-2018, 08:49 PM	#2
Ed Carpenter Live Reporter Join Date: May 2006 Location: Dripping Springs, Tx Posts: 2,709 Likes: 186 Liked 520 Times in 132 Posts	Re: Chevy engine blocks origin ? My dad worked at the Flint plant for 18 years. __________________ Ed Carpenter 2005 Chevy Cobalt A/SM Race Engine Development

05-02-2018, 06:39 AM	#3
Pat6868 Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 102 Likes: 6 Liked 88 Times in 28 Posts	Re: Chevy engine blocks origin ? At the St.Catharines Ontario plant we assembled 1500 small block engines in an 8 hour shift using blocks cast on site in the foundry. This was mid to late 70''s.

05-02-2018, 06:21 PM	#5
Pat6868 Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 102 Likes: 6 Liked 88 Times in 28 Posts	Re: Chevy engine blocks origin ? Two assembly line's, can't recall total number of workers. Iirc engines came by 3 or so a minute, we had 16 guys pushing pistons. It was 40 years ago.

05-02-2018, 06:24 PM	#6
FED 387 VIP Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 3,423 Likes: 538 Liked 333 Times in 180 Posts	Re: Chevy engine blocks origin ? 1500 per shift thats about 190 engines per hour or 3 engines per minute-- no standing around here folks--

05-02-2018, 07:12 PM	#7
Tim H VIP Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 1,043 Likes: 1,081 Liked 482 Times in 159 Posts	Re: Chevy engine blocks origin ? Further to this discussion,I found this post on the NCRS site When I was the Senior Process Engineer at the Chevrolet Pilot Line in Flint in '66-'69, a good friend was the supervisor of the Piston Department at Flint V-8 next door, and I spent time there on several occasions. They didn't stamp the rods and caps when they machined the rods and made up the piston/rod assemblies for the engine assembly lines at 2400 rod/piston/pin/ring/bearing assemblies per hour; they just placed the size-gaged cam-ground pistons in the correct position in the 8-piston conveyor trays to match the teleprocessed bore sizes for that engine from the bore air-gage station at the head of the line.

05-02-2018, 08:16 PM	#8
Pat6868 Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 102 Likes: 6 Liked 88 Times in 28 Posts	Re: Chevy engine blocks origin ? At St. Catharines blocks would come down line upside down. Bore size was stamped on pan rail ( A,B,C ) etc. Workers would choose matching piston-rod assembly and install main bearings. Then place in order beside engine. Then we would pop them in and install cap and nuts.

05-03-2018, 06:12 PM	#10
Pat6868 Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 102 Likes: 6 Liked 88 Times in 28 Posts	Re: Chevy engine blocks origin ? If there ever was a mass produced corporate small block engine better than the Chevy's that were built in St.Kitts I haven't seen it.