Original engine

[Craigneed86]

I just purchased a 72 Mach 1 351c, how do find out if my engine is original? Thanks for accepting into the club.

 

[Don C]

If it's original it will have a partial VIN stamped on the rear of the block, on the driver's side, just below the head gasket. It'll take a mirror, cell phone camera, or inspection camera to see it. The casting number and date code are on the other side of the block above the starter.

 

[Craigneed86]

Thanks I will look for the number. This is the picture I know it’s been wrenched on. But would be cool if that is the original block.

 

[Fabrice]

Welcome from the northern Netherlands

 

[NOT A T5]

Welcome from Omaha! Where in Colorful Colorado are you?

 

[Craigneed86]

Thanks Fabrice and Not A T5, I'm from Golden. My first car was a mustang and now I get to re live that, took 5 cars to finally get one that wasn't rusted out. Found a 72 Mach 1 351 CJ 4 speed Q code. But im not sure if the engine is a 351 CJ, but its a 351 c

 

[jpaz]

Hello and Welcome from Michigan.

 

[Manu Mach1]

Hello, welcome from France.

You can check as well a small number on each corner of the heads. If you find 4 then they are 4V heads.

 

[73pony]

Welcome from Iowa.

 

[Carolina_Mountain_Mustangs]

Welcome to the Forum from North Carolina.

 

[mach71351c]

Welcome from San Diego

 

[BeerDontCount]

Howdy from Seattle.

Scott

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[mjseakan]

Welcome from Central New York.

Mike

 

[goodnigh]

Welcome from northern California.

mike

 

[Craigneed86]

So I pulled the starter and it said D2AE-CA. 2C1 and on the driver side looked like 2A73 or 2A72

 

[Craigneed86]

Could of been 37A2 or 27A3 using a mirror

 

[vintageman]

Welcome from Georgia

 

[Don C]

D2AE-CA is the casting number, this number was used from 1972 to 1974, also on CobraJet engines. 2C1 is the date the block was cast, March 1, 1972.

So, if your car was built after that date it may be the original. The only way to be 100% sure is by getting the partial VIN on the block. If the last numbers on the partial VIN match the dash, buck tag, or door data plate VIN it is original.

I'm not sure what the other number is that you got. What you want is the partial VIN on the back of the block, right below the cylinder head gasket on the driver side. Here's an example

 

[Carolina_Mountain_Mustangs]

If the VIN# matches then you probably will have the Q code 4 bolt main block. If it does not match there is not way to tell if it is a 4 bolt from the outside. They used the same casting for 2 bolt and 4 bolt just machined them differently. You can machine a 2 bolt and add 4 bolt mains if you have the caps and will need align honed after install.

BTW not many of the blocks in the Mustang will have that neat of a VIN stamp. Most look like a drunk man did it and they used larger numbers for the Mustang. The picture is probably and Atlanta block.