Block CAST id VS CAST date

[hetrickw]

Attached is a 351w block id stamp.   I always thought the casting date had to be prior to the the cast id?  this is a 1974 - full size vehicle - engine code .   But the casting date says 5D28 which is 1975 - Apr.    What am i missing here?

Thanks 

 

[Don C]

Casting numbers are often carried over to subsequent years. For instance, all 1971 351C blocks (except Bosses) are D0AE. The D4AE 351Ws were carried over through 1977.

 

[hetrickw]

Casting numbers are often carried over to subsequent years. For instance, all 1971 351C blocks (except Bosses) are D0AE. The D4AE 351Ws were carried over through 1977.

Thanks Don

 

[hetrickw]

Casting numbers are often carried over to subsequent years. For instance, all 1971 351C blocks (except Bosses) are D0AE. The D4AE 351Ws were carried over through 1977.

Thanks Don

after reading this again, I'm lost.... 

So, D4AE-6015-AA2 is what the ID and the 5D28 is the Casting Date?  I thought D4AE was 74 ford but the cast date is in 1975?   WTF? cant be....

 

[Don C]

The D4 just means that 1974 was the year the engineering number (casting number) was assigned to this block design. It also means there were some design changes made to the block, and this block superceded the previous D2xx blocks. The main change in this block was a deck height increase from 9.480" to 9.503". Just think of the D4AE as a part number that was first produced in 1974. D4AE blocks were still being produced in 1977.

As such, the casting number has no value in determining the actual year of vehicle it was used on. You just know it couldn't have been used on an earlier year model. This is where the casting date comes into play and importance. For instance, say your car is a 1974 with a D4AE block, if the date it was cast is in 1976 you don't have a numbers matching car. The casting number was correct but the block was built two years after the car was.

 

[midlife]

The D4AE number is the design number of the engine block, good for a number of years and across multiple lines of car models. The Casting date is the date of the actual block when it was cast, and has to be equal to or later than the design year.

 

[secluff]

hetrickw, as Don C posted, the casting number is used for subsequent years and does not carry as much importance as the casting date. Ford never intended for the casting number to be used for any sort of positive identification. It was more of an internal use tool for the casting foundry and the powertrain engineers. Since the 351W was released in 1969, the blocks would indictate "C9AE". If there had been no changes to the block over the years, then a 351W block for a 1982 Ford would still indicate C9AE with the actual date it was cast in 82. But since there were changes over the years such as the one piece rear main seal, mid 90's roller camshaft, and emissions and durability upgrades, the block casting number would change with the engineering improvements. In fact a lot of blocks won't even have the "6015", just the prefix and suffix.  

Ford had starting using a metal tag for engine ID starting in 1965, but we know what happened to most of those.  

So it is certainly possible for you to have a block that was engineer upgraded in 74 and cast in April 28, 1975 and used for subsequent model years until another engineering change would mandate a casting number change.

Hope this has helped some as you can drown in these numbers trying to sort out engineering and part numbers, with some date codes thrown in for additional confusion!

 

[hetrickw]

hetrickw, as Don C posted, the casting number is used for subsequent years and does not carry as much importance as the casting date. Ford never intended for the casting number to be used for any sort of positive identification. It was more of an internal use tool for the casting foundry and the powertrain engineers. Since the 351W was released in 1969, the blocks would indictate "C9AE". If there had been no changes to the block over the years, then a 351W block for a 1982 Ford would still indicate C9AE with the actual date it was cast in 82. But since there were changes over the years such as the one piece rear main seal, mid 90's roller camshaft, and emissions and durability upgrades, the block casting number would change with the engineering improvements. In fact a lot of blocks won't even have the "6015", just the prefix and suffix.  

Ford had starting using a metal tag for engine ID starting in 1965, but we know what happened to most of those.  

So it is certainly possible for you to have a block that was engineer upgraded in 74 and cast in April 28, 1975 and used for subsequent model years until another engineering change would mandate a casting number change.

Hope this has helped some as you can drown in these numbers trying to sort out engineering and part numbers, with some date codes thrown in for additional confusion!

got it, thanks all.