ford engine identification

[pl1800]

A friend has a block he cannot indentify, I asked him to give me the numbers off the block and this is what he gave me and said they came from the back. The numbers he gave me were 23119694, anybody know which block this might be?

Thanks

 

[65ShelbyClone]

The casting numbers are most commonly near where the starter goes. It will begin with a 4-digit letter-number-letter-number sequence.

Just about all of them have a string of only numbers like you gave us, so we'll need more info like what vehicle it might have come from or physical characteristics.

 

[D.Hearne]

That string of numbers was the VIN stamped on the rear of the block behind the intake, useless for block ID. Like 65ShelbyClone says, get the numbers from above the starter location, if it's a small block. Big block (FE's) are on the rigth side toward the front. They'll be something like this : C5AE-6015-A There'll be another set like this: 5B15 (number/letter/number(s) which is the date code. First number is the year of the decade, letter is the month, starts with A for January thru M for December they skipped the letter "I", the last number or numbers is the day of the month.

 

[bnickel]

that almost sounds like a GM engine #. probably not but a lot of GM engine parts start with a 231 prefix

 

[CarFreakGT]

The casting numbers are most commonly near where the starter goes. It will begin with a 4-digit letter-number-letter-number sequence.

This could be different w/ a later-model engine, though. Correct? I took off my starter and found no #. After a little more searching I found my casting # on the left (driver) side. ('87 roller block).

 

[65ShelbyClone]

All the old non-roller blocks I have laying around, two 302s and a 351W, have the casting numbers on the passenger side where the starter would cover them. The only roller block I have is in my car, so I'd have to go rolling in the dirt to find out.

 

[nosechunks]

how about e5ae-c3b?? its a roller block. dont kno anything about it but i was told it was a "heavy duty mexican block". got it for free so it doesnt really matter if it is not not, just wondering.

 

[CarFreakGT]

The E5AE sounds right. But, if I'm not mistaken, the next digits should be 6015 to identify it as a block. (Like D. Hearne posted.) It's late here, and I can't get to my book w/ ID chart w/o waking my wife. I'll look it up tomorrow.

EDIT: I don't know if it being a Mexican block would make a difference (in reference to the 6015).

 

[D.Hearne]

E5AE isn't a Mex block. The Mex block have an "M" in the third digit as far as I know. Also had the thick main caps the 289 Hi-po's had.

 

[CarFreakGT]

E5AE would be a 1985 block. First letter (E) is the decade, the 5 is the year of that decade, A=Ford car line, the last letter indicates the engineering group--in this case, E=engine. The next set of numbers should be '6015' to id. it as a cylinder block.

 

[nosechunks]

well i just went out and checked again, no 6015 number, just the e5ae c3b. check it out.....

View attachment 417178

View attachment 417179

 

[D.Hearne]

Yea the late model roller blocks don't have the 6015 part number. It's obvious that it's an engine block anyhow, I guess some numbers cruncher did the smart thing and eliminated the part number, it wasn't needed. The E5 is a roller block, but not as good a block as the later E6 & E7 blocks. In those, Ford added 4 lbs more iron in the coolant jackets and decks to strengthen the bores.

 

[nosechunks]

so what kind of power is this thing capable of? ive herd that 302s in general dont like much over 400.

 

[D.Hearne]

They have split the blocks in half at something over 400hp. That figure also depends on what rotating assembly and the rpms it's subjected to. Bigger the arm on the crank, the less rpms it's gonna take to split one.

 

[brooce]

That string of numbers was the VIN stamped on the rear of the block behind the intake, useless for block ID. Like 65ShelbyClone says, get the numbers from above the starter location, if it's a small block. Big block (FE's) are on the rigth side toward the front. They'll be something like this : C5AE-6015-A There'll be another set like this: 5B15 (number/letter/number(s) which is the date code. First number is the year of the decade, letter is the month, starts with A for January thru M for December they skipped the letter "I", the last number or numbers is the day of the month.

Did they stamp the VIN anywhere else on the block? I've found the machined flat spot behind the intake, but there's not even a hint of a number there!

The engine in question is a Mexican block 302 in my 70 Fastback. I'm just trying to find if this was the original engine.

 

[bnickel]

Did they stamp the VIN anywhere else on the block? I've found the machined flat spot behind the intake, but there's not even a hint of a number there!

The engine in question is a Mexican block 302 in my 70 Fastback. I'm just trying to find if this was the original engine.

not all blocks were stamped with the vin. most of us Ford guys just go by the date codes on the block, if they are within a few weeks before the car itself was built then there's a real good chance it's the original engine. we aren't all high and mighty about numbers matching this and that like the GM and Mopar bunch, but when we do get one that's numbers matching with the VIN stamped block it's an extra nice surprise.

i will say that after 68 all ford blocks were supposed to be stamped with the vin but that does NOT mean that all of them were. also, if your car was a San Jose built car then there's a very good chance that Mexican block is orignal to the car as the San Jose plant was the only Ford plant that used the mex block, dearborn and Metuchen did not use the mex block, however, so if your car is was built in either Dearborn or Metuchen the block is not original to the car.

 

[bdydrpd88]

c80e_6015a is the code off of my block can anyone tell me what year this came out of? if i read it right maybe early 80's model car?

 

[65ShelbyClone]

That is a 1968 block. Learn to decode the numbers yourself here:

Guide to Decoding Ford Part Numbers - ClassicMustang.com

 

[bdydrpd88]

thanks i just found that out using a site i finally found thats got the decoding numbers on it lol thanks tho ill save the site you sent tho its got a bit more information then the other one i found tho

 

[D.Hearne]

Only the date code tells you the year it was cast. C8OE only tells you it was first cast for the 68 model year. They used that block at least a couple-three years in production