Frame numbers

Your engine was stamped at the Rouge on April 8, 1930. From there it was sent to an assembly plant somewhere in the US. Once the engine was dropped into a frame the engine number stamped into the frame rail. So if you're asking when your car was built it was sometime after April 8th 1930.

For more info on that whole process check out this video.
https://youtu.be/qv7JNE9bQ0k
 

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A rule of thumb is that the Model "A" or "AA" engine number was stamped into the frame within 90 days of the engines foundry date. So the foundry date of April 8, 1930 likely went into a vehicle on a Ford assembly line in the period of April, May or June.
 
Ford was building some of the lower price vehicles at a high enough rate that most engines were mated to frames within a month but stuff could get backed up at times. Three months is within the approximate range so there is no way to nail down the day or even the week that a car was completed.
 
I have a Model A engine (painted red) that likely was an "Allstate" replacement engine.

No number. Never had one from the look of the numberpad.

Do you think anyone would mind if I numbered it A20000001?

The Twenty Millionth Ford is a 1931 slant windshield Town Sedan 160B. According to the archive records in Dearborn, engine "☆A20000000☆" was stamped at the Rouge at 9:55 AM on April 1, 1931 after completing the run-in test.
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There may be a dozen (plus one original) already.

Joe K
 
Bare replacement blocks were not numbered but they may have the little diamond shaped casting mark just above the timing gear cap on the right side front of the block. No diamond casting mark would indicate that is was cast during regular model A production. The blocks cast post production were subcontracted out so they have the foundry's diamond casting mark. Block characteristics changed during the model A production but a person has to know what those subtle changes are to identify them. ALSO: Model B blocks look the same but they were numbered on the flywheel housing instead of the block so it could be a model B engine.

As far as marking it, all I can say is at least use stamps that replicate what Ford used depending on date of manufacture. Replica stamp sets are available including the star.
 
rotorwrench said:
Bare replacement blocks were not numbered but they may have the little diamond shaped casting mark just above the timing gear cap on the right side front of the block. No diamond casting mark would indicate that is was cast during regular model A production. The blocks cast post production were subcontracted out so they have the foundry's diamond casting mark. Block characteristics changed during the model A production but a person has to know what those subtle changes are to identify them. ALSO: Model B blocks look the same but they were numbered on the flywheel housing instead of the block so it could be a model B engine.

As far as marking it, all I can say is at least use stamps that replicate what Ford used depending on date of manufacture. Replica stamp sets are available including the star.
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So could a person simply unbolt the flywheel housing and move it from engine to engine? Is that number visible with the engine in the car?
 
rotorwrench said:
ALSO: Model B blocks look the same but they were numbered on the flywheel housing instead of the block so it could be a model B engine.
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Didn't the Model B block have a mounting location for the fuel pump below the valve cover? That would clearly differentiate it from a Model A block...
 
JayJay said:
Didn't the Model B block have a mounting location for the fuel pump below the valve cover? That would clearly differentiate it from a Model A block...
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Yes there are many changes to the B block some early ones also had a pad cast on the left side for a vacuum pump that never went into production. They have bigger bearings and if you go late enough it'll have a counter balanced crank.
 
Neither the B block nor the V8 block had serial numbers stamped on unless done by an outside source. The B numbers were stamped above where the starter bolts in on top of the flywheel housing. The V8s had the numbers stamped into the top of the half bell in the transmission just above the access port there. Ford also started stamping the frame where a person could see the number in the B era.
 
There is a thread on another site about this dealer tag. It's not known if that is the date it arrived at the dealer or when it was first sold.
It nearly 5 months after the engine was stamped in Dearborn on 11-18-30.
 

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