Awhile back a video was posted about identifying original components on a '69 428CJ Cougar so I thought it'd be helpful to see the numbers as applied to a small block... First off, top of the block behind intake manifold, eight digit number that first two are year & assembly plant of vehicle, last six are consecutive unit(basically number sequence as orders are received at assembly plant) Note there may be a full VIN of 11 digits but in either case the original engine will match the vehicle VIN... Mine does match but looks like the stamper had the DTs... http://i1358.photobucket.com/albums/q765/xxAMxx/Comet/cometblockvin_zps7f4c2a8b.jpg At this point the block, heads, intake etc can be checked for proper date codes to check for their originality... Since correct VIN is on block, no doubts there, still finding casting dates can prove interesting... First off block casting date is 2E11 or May 11 1972... Build date for my car is June 23 1972, cast date is approx six weeks prior... http://i1358.photobucket.com/albums/q765/xxAMxx/Comet/cometblockcast_zps04c9bd05.jpg Actual engine assembly date is 2F7 or June 7 1972... http://i1358.photobucket.com/albums/q765/xxAMxx/Comet/cometengineassemble_zps0a54c48a.jpg Intake manifold casting is 2E27 or May 27 1972... http://i1358.photobucket.com/albums/q765/xxAMxx/Comet/cometintakecast_zpsdf0025d9.jpg Driver side head casting is 8C31 or March 31 1978(yeah I knew the heads were bogus because of bolt down rockers and 14MM spark plugs) I've never pulled passenger valve cover, but that head isn't orig either... http://i1358.photobucket.com/albums/q765/xxAMxx/Comet/cometheadcast_zps7f0f27cd.jpg Passenger side exhaust manifold cast 2E18 or May 18 1972 http://i1358.photobucket.com/albums/q765/xxAMxx/Comet/cometmanifold_zps0a728b6b.jpg Driver side date is pretty much illegible but it's 2E something, there is a large space between the E and last digit I suspect it's rusted away... http://i1358.photobucket.com/albums/q765/xxAMxx/Comet/cometmanifold2_zpsd3550ecd.jpg Also found a date of June 5 1972 on the torque converter and I already knew the transmission ID stamp matched the one on engine so it's also original(I saw that stamp when Brian had the trans out for rebuild) http://i1358.photobucket.com/albums/q765/xxAMxx/Comet/cometconverter_zps6661beb8.jpg
Thanks... I really enjoyed that video, cool and rare kitty... Only Cougar I've owned was a '68 GTE with the side oiler 427, yeah wish I'd kept it...
Totally jealous, I'd love to own a '68 cougar. Interesting information, do you think that translates directly to a 74?
The date codes will be in same format will just be reading later dates, in fact I don't believe the date format has changed to this day... Casting numbers like the D2OE-6015-AB on my block often continue for a year or more so often were used in at least two model years... The "O" in that number denotes Fairlane/Torino, but likely that block was used in all carlines and maybe even in the E & F Series... I know one member posted that same D2 number for a '73 model Maverick along with a '73 casting date... Here's a portion of the thread I was referring to... Was cast almost 13 months after my block...
Really? I was visiting with the registrar for the Cougar GT-E's today, do you happen to know the VIN number? He has 67% of all GT-E's accounted for, in his data base.
Right. Case in point: the well known E7TE heads. These were in production for about eleven years, from late 1986 (the start of the 87 model year) til 1997. And were used on both the 5.0 and 5.8 engines in pickups, vans and Mustangs. Ditto for the C8OE 302 rods, these were in production from 1968 until sometime in 1990. Castng numbers ( actually this is the Engineering number of a part) cannot be used to determine what vehicle a part was used or installed in at the factory. The vehicle character in the number only denotes what vehicle line the part's engineering costs were assigned to. Very few parts were ever used in a single vehicle line, the Boss 302's and their parts come to mind.
Here is a link showing the different date code formats on different parts. I don't know how long this format was used, but most if not all could have been used through the 70's http://www.fomoco.org/Date%20Codes.htm
I should have mentioned date codes repeat every decade, so the casting number plays a big roll in ID... Not much doubt a part with 2E11 and a C2xxx casting is 1962 vintage, same would be true for 1982 if it wears a E2xxxx engineering number... A vehicle with the correct casting dates, along with the engineering numbers are what's referred to as a matching numbers car... That usually means it's original, or a high $$$ piece that's worth the effort to locate the absolute correct parts... BTW my Comet's intake is a D3 number so '73 parts were already being phased in(remember casting date was a couple weeks prior to engine build, it's no doubt correct)... The June 23 build is within the last three or four weeks of 1972 production... Of course all these numbers for my car are for naught, it's getting a 1991 5.0...
Well I got a surprise when I pulled the passenger side valve cover, can anyone tell me what's wrong with this picture???
Two different heads. Diffferent rockers and the drivers side has got the Thermactor passage plugged with that big bolt. Talk about an "unbalanced engine", the combustion chambers on will be dramatically different from each other in size.
Yeah it's kludge for sure, but I'm guessing heads have the same size combustion chambers... That right head is a early '78 model year, cast Aug 29 1977, so first '78s would have already been coming off the lines just about the time it was cast(yeah I thought all 1978 302 had bolt down rockers)... Info I've found shows the '77 302 heads also used the same 69cc chambers as '78, should be what that head is... 302 / 77-77 / D7OE-DA / 69CC / 1.78/1.45 302 / 78-80 / D8OE-AB / 69CC / 1.78/1.45
