I have searched quite a bit on here and most websites that I can think of regarding these questions. I have an FE that I was told was a 390... previous owner going off what the guy he bought the truck from told him. I have searched all over this thin and cannot find anything resembling a serial # or casting code other than the generic "DIF 44", "352" and a hard to read date code. I have looked at every FE block picture I can find online to see where the codes can be - and there is definatley nothing on mine in any of the locations I have seen on others. The head codes show 1969 galaxie or like car. Some clues... It has 4 bolt motor mount holes It is (currently) a 2V with the holley 500cfm 2bbl carb - new not original ford No tag by coil left There are no "A" or "H" letters scratched into the rear of the block.... The date casting code near/under the fuel pump may show CF9 or 0F9 - but it is really hard to read (even though the block is super clean without any slime). If this is "CF9" then I will guess it is a 1969 casting? - which seems to match the heads. It was in a 1966 truck - but had clearly been out of the vehicle, gone through, re-sealed and painted at the bare minimum. It does not leak at all and supposedly the previous owner spent $3000 redoing it? What does a truck block with the " beefier casting webs" look like? I do not know how to visually tell. Can a service block have absolutley no id #'s other than casting date? Is there any conclusive service block mark or identifier? Any help would be greatly appreciated. I am basically not expecting it to be anything "good" but hoping it is at least a 390 and not a 360. Pierre
If that engine is from a 66 ford pick up, it's most likely a 352. The only way to find out what you have is to pull the head and measure
All 65 and newer 390 ,360 ,352 and 428 engines have 352 cast on the block. You can stick a straw in the plug hole and measure the stroke. It is possible to measure the bore by pulling the oil pan. The 352,s have a 1/4 moon cutout at the crankshaft flange. OldWolf
I have 1 here also...I was told it was a replacement block issued as an in warentee replacement...Mine is a replacement 390 GT, from a 1968 Gt. Mustang..
Old Wolf has the best solution. Pull a plug & put a straw or a small wooden dowel in the hole on top of the piston. Turn the engine over by hand and mark both limits of the throw. Measure the difference. If it's 3.78" it's a 390, 3.50" it's a 352/360 crank, 3.98" (jackpot) 428 crank so you've got either a 410 or a 428. Movin/on
Many FE blocks are unmarked, especially ones in the vintage your looking at. You'll have to go with the bore/stroke and date code on the block and that'll be all you got to work with for the most part. If the date codes on the heads are reasonably close to the block then you've probably got a 'complete' motor. Intake and exhaust manifold date codes should also be reasonably close (within a couple of months or less).......if the casting date codes on the other major parts jive with either of your guesses you can be a little more comfortable on your block date code guess. Here's a link to a CJ based site that shows pics of the reinforced webs in HP/CJ blocks.....typically limited to 428 PI and CJ/SCJ use - so to see reinforced webs on a 390 block would be quite unlikely.....not impossible in the later 390s however, since Ford swapped block sand cores around quite a bit. http://www.428cobrajet.org/id-block.html -Bigchief.
Thanks for all the replies. I will pop the oil pan off and look for the added webbing now that I know what it looks like....
Dont forget the 390 105 mirror blocks that had the extra webbing & 105 backwards cast where the 352 normally is. These are great block and most are extremely think walled.
FE Blocks are a treat. Since it was so easy to mix and match cranks, pistons, etc, it is impossible to know for sure what you have until you measure the bore and stroke. Engine Bore Stroke 331 HT 3.875 3.50 332 4.000 3.30 352 4.000 3.50 360 4.050 3.50 361 HT 4.050 3.50 390 4.050 3.78 391 HT 4.050 3.78 406 4.130 3.78 410 4.050 3.98 427 4.230 3.78 428 4.130 3.98 Since the 4 stock Crank stokes fit in any and all blocks without any modification (with the exception of the HT (truck) crankshafts which had a larger snout), There is virtually endless possiblities.
Well...It is solved....No thanks to the block.... I took off the oil pan and found the crank to have a 3U stamped on it. That will positively id the crank as a standard 390 piece. Even if it was a 360... it is a 390 now. Does not have the reinforced webs by the crank so probably nothing special as far as the block is concerned. Pretty happy that is not a 352/360. Thanks for the input.
One more you didn't cover... the 359 U-Haul engine. Most of those late 60's-mid-70's U-Haul F600's had a sepcial FE engine made strictly for U-Haul... different bore (as I remember)... different crank... modified water pump and intake (for better cooling). I used to get the parts for my '73 F600 U-haul from NAPA... they actually had listings for the "U-Haul" engine... Here's a link..it IS called an FT block but many parts are bascically the same...pretty interesting reading... http://www.fordification.com/bumpwiki/index.php?title=Ford_FT_vs._FE
I thought the casting date was year, month, day so 0 F 9 would be 1970 June 9th but I don't know a heck of a lot about fords.
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