Check the firing order, 351W is 1-3-7-2-6-5-4-8, 289/302 is 1-5-4-2-6-3-7-8.
In regard to the casting numbers, if I have it right it works kinda like this:
`E` is the original casting decade, in this case `80s,
`3` is the year in that decade, so it`s original production release casting was in 1983 (this does not mean it`s an `83 motor, just that the particular casting was first released into production in 1983).
`A` means it was designed for use in Ford vehicles (as opposed to Mercury, Lincon etc).
`E` means it`s an engine componant.
The number following this is the part designation `6015` is for a basic engine block casting, unmachined.
Now it gets difficult, the next number is what will realy give you what you want to know but is the hardest bit to decode.
The prefix letters are the change code, this can be the casting, the final machined part or the replacement/service part.
For example, `B` would mean it`s been changed once, `C` would be the second change and so on right through the alphabet (discounting the letter `I`, they wouldn`t want to confuse anybody!). When they got right through the alphabet they just added another letter. So `BA` tells you there have been a lot of changes to this part since it`s first casting designation. I`m not certain on the numbers after this but think they are directly related to the type of changes made.
For some more info on a part try and find the exact casting date, in there wisdom Ford decided to code these totaly opposite to what you`ve just learned but it can point you in the right direction.
Look for something like `3C15` (just an example), the first number stands for the year in the decade, the month in that year is the letter following it (so months are A through to L, Jan` to Dec`) and the day in the month being the last number. So `3C15` tells you it`s the 15th of March 19?2 (the other casting number we did first says it`s an original casting of 1983 so it`s a fair assumption that the part was cast on 15th March 1983.
Was Ford producing the part you think your looking at on the dates you have, if so then odds are on that that`s what it is. If not, you need to do the research and find out what they were making and work it out from there.
That`s about all I know on Ford numbers, perhaps someone else can tell you more but that`s how I think it works and if I have got anything wrong here please feel free to sue me /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif