Indentify a Flathead engine

J

jcb50

Junior Member
I have been playing around with early Fords for 60 years and have always understood that Ford didn't stamp engine number on the engine block. I recently bought a restored 40 Deluxe Coupe from Calif. During the registration process it was discovered there was an engine # stamped to the top back of the block, in the recognised Ford style. Is there anyway to identify the engine from the number? I understand all the normal methods but the motor runs so nice, so I don't want to remove a head. It seems to run a bit harder than your average 221 flathead. Any help would be most appreciated. Thanks JCB
 
The number you saw, did you see it by removing the floorboard? If so, that was the transmission bell housing, not the engine. No number is to be found anywhere on the engine that originated from the Ford Motor Company.
 
Some states and countries require an engine number for registration. Canada and commonwealth countries have Ford engine numbers when manufactured. Also some rebuilt engines have engine numbers. Is your engine number the same as that stamped on the chassis/frame and transmission bell housing ? A picture might help here. Regards, Kevin.
 
Is the number stamped on the frame the same number as stamped on the top of the transmission bell housing? These should match and are what Ford used to identify your vehicle.
How about your registration or title? What number shows up there?
The number stamped on top of the engine was added for some reason, as others have posted, and if it's not the same as the frame and transmission number it may lead to some confusion.
 
Koates,


Your statement about Canadian engine blocks being stamped is incorrect. Perhaps to meet the local regulations of some Commonwealth countries, but not for the Canadian domestic market.
 
I am not able to send direct Emails or post photos as I do not have sufficient posts. So I thank everyone for their input, as I cannot add photos as requested. It is definitely a different # to the chassis # and is certainly stamped into the block!!!
 
Sounds pretty simple to me. At some time in the past, a previous owner, a rebuilder, or maybe even a government agency stamped that number on to the engine, probably for identification purposes (quite a common occurrence). Later on, when someone needed a replacement engine, it got installed in the subject vehicle. One tip-off is that it is a "restored vehicle".

As the old saying goes, "When you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras".
 
If the number is in the "recognized Ford style" as stated; look the number sequence up on Van Pelt's website and see if the results make any sense.
 
It fits within the 1941 model year in accordance with the Van Pelt's list. The car is an October 1939 built Deluxe Coupe, one family owned for over 75 years and restored by them within the last 10 years. Thanks everyone.
 
Thanks, Glenn for posting that FLATHEAD TECHNO SOURCE website. I always have trouble finding it.
Jim
 
Thanks Jim it was and is quite a bit of work. The latest version is always in my "signature" for most of my posts.


Glenn
 
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