Hot Rods need help decoding sbf

Can anyone help me decode my SBF? Starts with C8AE-6015-B...........6...........7M23
is this block a 289 or a 302. any help would be appreciated.

Thank You
Earl

 

Does it have 5 or 6 bell housing bolts? HRP

 

C8 is a 68 block design, could be any year after that. That being said, it is probably a 302, since the last design number on a 289 would predate 1968, the last year of production.

 

Does it say hencho in Mexico on it???? Those are "beefy" blocks...

 

Shouldn't be as they were early 70's. Also higher nickel content.

 

7M23 would be December 23rd 1967. 302, the changeover was in around April.

 

C8 is a 1968 engineering design number, could it have been designed in 1967 to the 1968 specs, then produced in Dec 1967 for 1968 vehicles? And since Ford is known to use up it's supply of parts before introducing new designs, wouldn't it still be a 302? I doubt Ford would introduce a new design on a part that was going off line in 6 months anyway.

 

It is a 1968 engineering number. As Rmk57 said, it was a December 23,1967 casting. Early 68 model cars were equipped with the 289 and later changed to the 302. I have seen some early 289 powered mustangs with this block as they both share a 4” bore . It will work with either 289 or 302.


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http://www.mustangtek.com/block/Block.html
http://www.mustangtek.com/FordDecode.html



https://classicmustang.com/casting-numbers/

 

The only real difference between these is the 302 block has cylinders that are bit longer (.2" IIRC) to offer more piston support with the longer 302 stroke.

 

That was what I was thinking, only difference was the crank, 302 has a longer stroke.

 

Thank you to all for the great input. Rmk57 Thank You for your input. It was a great help to know when Ford stopped production of the 289.....that would leave me to believe I have a 302.
Thank You to all

 

Yes the cylinder wall does come down a little more than the earlier blocks