Reply to "casting numbers?"

Dennis,

Cleveland engines are not easily identified from the outside, as you are learning. All production Cleveland blocks are pretty much the same, some have four bolt main caps, some do not. All production blocks cast in the US between summer of 1971 and the end of production had a casting number of D2AE-CA, that includes blocks with both 2 bolt main caps and 4 bolt main caps, blocks for 2V motors and 4V motors. All production blocks in Australia also had a casting number of D2AE-CA! (excepting the XE blocks that made it into production vehicles).

I have heard of 351 Cobra Jet motors, with D2AE-CA blocks, equipped with only 2 bolt main caps. I have seen a 351C 2V motor, D2AE-CA block, equipped with 4 bolt main caps.

The cylinder heads will have a casting date code cast into them that is visible by removing the valve cover, but it may be hidden by a layer of oily gunk, aka "splooge". It will be nestled between two rocker arm pedestals, on top of one of the intake ports. It is a 4 digit number, composed of a number, a letter, and 2 more numbers. I have a set of heads in the garage with the follwing code "9L25". It decodes this way:

9 = 1969
L = November
25 = 25th day of november.

The letter I was omitted from Ford's date code, so even though L is the 12th letter of the alphabet, it denotes the 11th month.

Since these heads have a "4" cast into the upper corners, denoting large port heads, I can deduce from the casting date that they are 4V heads cast for a 1970 motor, which means they have the small "closed" combustion chambers and large valves. I didn't need to know the casting number or see the combustion chamber.

Another way to identify motors that are relatively unmodified, the intake manifolds come in 4 distinct varieties, a cast iron square bore manifold that came on 1970 & 1971 M code motors, an aluminum spread bore manifold that came on 1971 & 1972 R code motors (solid lifter cams), a cast iron spread bore manifold with a small trench above the primary holes on the carb mounting pad that came on the late 1971 & 1972 Q code Cobra Jet motors and a cast iron spread bore manifold with an additional large trench cast along the right side of the carb mounting pad (to feed exhaust gas to the EGR valve), this manifold was found on the 1973 & 1974 Q code 351C 4V motors (Cobra Jets renamed).

All R code & Q code motors were equipped with dual point distributors too.

Your friend on the DTBB