Whats with this engine number

[Hux 45]

So this has me perplexed.  Car is a 1970 M Code build date was 18 Dec 1969. 0T05Mxxxxxx is the vehicle VIN which is what the car is a Metuchen built Mach 1.  

I found this engine number stamped into the engine block on the LH side just above the bell housing area.  The stamping reads to me as 0A14704 which would make it an Atlanta assembled car - so probably a Torino?

Engine as fitted Is an M code Cleveland engine and is except for the carb completely stock - right down to the manifolds.  It’s very much a virgin engine with even the OK in yellow faintly visible on the rocker cover.  Appearance matches the odo of @ 90,000 miles.

The casting dates of the engine are 9K18 on the block and 9K22 on the RH head so a late OCT casting would be fairly much right for the build date of the car.

 

It has me slightly confused - if someone had blown the motor what would be the chance that you could find a donor that was that close to car build date?  It’s not like my car is highly desirable for options and was a fairly low option car - could it have been something at the dealer where they have had to do a swap out for warranty.  It would seem improbably that engine numbers were stamped other than at Metuchen .

 

Or is that not a genuine Ford engine number stamp?  I cannot find an engine number stamp anywhere else so far.

 

I would love to hear so thoughts.

[barnett468 418]

If the last 4 digits match your vin, it is most likely the original factory stamp because the factory used a stamp holder which held all the stamps in it so they would all be in a nice straight line which is what yours is. An engine rebuild shop wouldn't use one.

[barnett468 418]

20 hours ago, Hux said:

could it have been something at the dealer where they have had to do a swap out for warranty.  It would seem improbably that engine numbers were stamped other than at Metuchen .

No, because a dealer would have not been able to get an engine with a date preceding your car, plus they would not have a holder to gang stamp it with plus dealers rarely put a vin on a warranty engine.

I will say that I have never seen an engine number stamped upside down on one though, if that is what yours is.

Most Ford engines are within 2 weeks of the actual build date of the car, which may be slightly different than the "projected" build date on the door tag.

 

[Hux 45]

5 hours ago, barnett468 said:

No, because a dealer would have not been able to get an engine with a date preceding your car, plus they would not have a holder to gang stamp it with plus dealers rarely put a vin on a warranty engine.

I will say that I have never seen an engine number stamped upside down on one though, if that is what yours is.

Most Ford engines are within 2 weeks of the actual build date of the car, which may be slightly different than the "projected" build date on the door tag.

 

Thanks - so that answers part of the question...yes that number is stamped upside down, guessing that is not correct.. projected build from memory was very early Dec 69.

Once I get the engine out I can give it a proper go over - but is that the correct location for a factory engine number on a 70?

Mine is 144374 so its a different number.

I don’t have anyone local with a 70 M code to even compare to - its the opposite end of the world here in Aus!

 

[barnett468 418]

7 hours ago, Hux said:

Thanks - so that answers part of the question...yes that number is stamped upside down, guessing that is not correct.. projected build from memory was very early Dec 69.

Once I get the engine out I can give it a proper go over - but is that the correct location for a factory engine number on a 70?

Mine is 144374 so its a different number.

I don’t have anyone local with a 70 M code to even compare to - its the opposite end of the world here in Aus!

 

Where is it stamped?

The engine vin on a Ford is never the full vin, but the last set of numbers on the engine always matches the last set of numbers on the body vin if the engine is original.

They sometimes did things a bit differently in the plant that engine came from, and after a quick google search, they did in fact stamp the numbers upside down on at least some clevelands from there. It should be on the back passenger side of the engine just below the head. If it were an fe engine they sometimes stamped them on the back side of the drivers cylinder head.

Also, I have never seen a ford engine with a casting date 3 months before the build date of the vehicle it is supposed to go in, and I have seen hundreds of them, but this does not mean it would never happen, it would just be way outside of the normal time frame which should raise suspicions about an engine being original to a vehicle.

There nay also be another set of numbers stamped on the block on the oil pan gasket surface or the timing cover gasket service. This would be the actual assembly date of the engine, which was typically within a month of the casting date. These locations are only for clevelands, fe's and 429's.

[LoneWolf2U 136]

This car build date is around the time they were using up the 351W stock already built before moving on to the 351C, So it may be why this engine build date is not close to the actual car build date.

[barnett468 418]

1 hour ago, Mach1Rider said:

This car build date is around the time they were using up the 351W stock already built before moving on to the 351C, So it may be why this engine build date is not close to the actual car build date.

In this case, his engine build date is not close to the car date because it came out of another vehicle that was built at another plant.

[Vicfreg 771]

Engine is likely from another car.  A lot can happen in 50 years

[Hux 45]

18 hours ago, barnett468 said:

Where is it stamped?

The engine vin on a Ford is never the full vin, but the last set of numbers on the engine always matches the last set of numbers on the body vin if the engine is original.

They sometimes did things a bit differently in the plant that engine came from, and after a quick google search, they did in fact stamp the numbers upside down on at least some clevelands from there. It should be on the back passenger side of the engine just below the head. If it were an fe engine they sometimes stamped them on the back side of the drivers cylinder head.

Also, I have never seen a ford engine with a casting date 3 months before the build date of the vehicle it is supposed to go in, and I have seen hundreds of them, but this does not mean it would never happen, it would just be way outside of the normal time frame which should raise suspicions about an engine being original to a vehicle.

There nay also be another set of numbers stamped on the block on the oil pan gasket surface or the timing cover gasket service. This would be the actual assembly date of the engine, which was typically within a month of the casting date. These locations are only for clevelands, fe's and 429's.

You are a wealth of knowledge.  That number is stamped on the driver side of the block just above where the bell housing mates.

Casting date is about 6 weeks before programmed build date.  22 Oct to early Dec (from memory programmed build was @ 6 Dec). 

Thanks for the tips on the gasket services - that will have to wait until disassembly but its great info