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Definitely. The year portion of the casting date code on a Tonawanda block is two digits, and it's only one digit on a Saginaw casting (like C 3 9 on a Saginaw block, which would be C 3 69 on a Tonawanda block. Also, Saginaw/Flint blocks had a 1/8" NPT square-head plug in the front of the block, just above about 11 o'clock on the timing cover; Tonawanda blocks didn't have the hole or the plug...Does that apply to Small Blocks, specifically trying to identify any differences between a Tonawanda cast small block and a Flint Casting.
Foundries never shut down - the melt cupolas ran continuously, although pouring of castings was normally a six-day operation on two 10-hour shifts; the Saginaw and Tonawanda foundries each produced about 55,000 castings per day for their respective engine plants. The Flint and Tonawanda engine plants ran the machining departments on three shifts, and assembly on two shifts, producing about 5500 engines per day each (one every 12 seconds).
Castings "typically" were machined within 2-10 days, although it could be much longer depending on inventory and demand for specific castings; production scheduling and inventory control in the 60's was nowhere near as precise as it is today.
just don't go any earlier than a month and not later than about 5 days prior to the engine assembly date. : )
Actually, it can be closer than five days between casting and machining/assembly; his block was cast on September 8th, and assembled the same day. Although it's not the "norm", we've documented a number of Corvette small-blocks from Flint that were cast and machined/assembled on the same day (cast early on the first shift at Saginaw, assembled late on the second shift at Flint). More "normative" separation, however, invites less scrutiny.
