302 Engine Block Casting/Serial Numbers

Ron Earp

Admin
Where are the casting or serial numbers on a modern 302? I'm thinking I remember some numbers somewhere around a pad in the starter mount area but I'm not too sure. Before I start looking all over if someone knows exactly where that would be much appreciated. The wonderful NC DOT is stuck in the 50s where engine trafficking was actual money, these days people give blocks away so I'm not so sure taxpayers should even fund such activities, but there you go.

R
 
Ron, there are #s stamped on the back of the block by the intake manifold , the numbers would be the last 5-7 of the cars vin # but ford did a poor job and sometimes only 4-5 numbers show up , hope this helps Bob
 
Now this is quite interesting. On my 302 block the casting numbers are down the side of the block in the usual place. But, I have a set on numbers stamped into the block on top of the engine at the back just before the bell housing. I have no idea what these numbers are. So, my question, What are these numbers and can I use them to trace some of the history of my engine block?


Using the word "interesting" might be over egging it a bit! ;)
 
The numbers punched into the area @ top in front of bell housing should apply to the VIN# of the car it was originally fitted to.

Lets say part of the number is ..8J13S......
The 8 refers to the year in each decade ..58, 68, 78, etc... the casting code will give the decade..C=60's, D=70's.... The second letter 'J' gives the month.. A=jan, B=feb, etc excluding 'I'..
The 'S' is the engine code... in that case a September 1968 390 4v GT with 325Bhp.
 

Dave Bilyk

Dave Bilyk
Supporter
Jon,
I have numbers stamped at that location on the block too. They are stamped using a set of teaps or letter stamps
In my case they are just the date the engine builder assembled the engine in 1991. A case of an old block being reused in a 'new' engine build and the date being used as an engine number.



regards
Dave
 

Ron Earp

Admin
Thanks Jac Mac. Sounds like all I need is accessible from the outside. Nothing in the bell housing area is there?
 
Thanks Jac Mac. Sounds like all I need is accessible from the outside. Nothing in the bell housing area is there?

You mean in behind the flywheel, no not that I have ever seen on SBF etc.
( Have a vague memory of some of the older stuff like 272 etc having cast numbers there though ).
The pics are of an 80's 302 block I bought this week.
 
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Where are the casting or serial numbers on a modern 302? I'm thinking I remember some numbers somewhere around a pad in the starter mount area but I'm not too sure. Before I start looking all over if someone knows exactly where that would be much appreciated. The wonderful NC DOT is stuck in the 50s where engine trafficking was actual money, these days people give blocks away so I'm not so sure taxpayers should even fund such activities, but there you go.

R

Ron, Check out the below photo that's from my SB Ford Racing Engine book. The number is where you thought it was . . . on a pad above the starter motor location. The block shown is a M6010-R451 race block, aka, R451 block. It's about as modern as you can get.

There are other numbers, such as those mentioned, but most are for your standard production block. Early examples of these will have a stamped alpha-numeric number stamped on a boss that projects from the upper front corner of the left deck surface. But it doesn't identify the block casting. An example I used in my Small-block Ford book uses a for example build date number 9A12S. The 9 is for the calendar year and the A is for January.

1_p2-4CropIMG_3551.JPG
 
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