Help with Flathead Identification

It looks to me like a 'late' 38, or '39 standard' engine. The first 24 stud, 3- 1/16 bore. This is because it has the 'short' crankshaft, evident in the pic. It is possible that someone has cut off the end of the crank however.
 
Didn't even notice the crank! 19-c, the plugs are in the PAN RAIL, directly covered by the pan gasket. The bulges widen said rail to allow reoom for the plugs.
The short crank referred to was used 1936--38, a few '39 standars. It was lengthened and bearings enlarged for 1939, the lengthening to allow support for the new fan on crank location.
 
The plugs are covered by the pan flange. And they are not frost plugs, they are core plugs. Used to remove the core sand from the block. However Ford did away with them in 1941, which is why when you really clean the water jackets of these old engines, you will still get lots of old sand out of those recesses.
 
You'd be surprised how much junk comes out of those passages. I've got a variety of pokers and prods to go in a scratch that stuff out.
 
19-c said:
The infamous bump. Nothing I can see resembles a frost plug as I am familiar with
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You would need to remove the oil pan to see the plug(s). They are on the bottom of the pan rail. If they fail (pop out or rust away) you may have some coolant in your oil. The bumps on the outside of the block were probably necessary to provide wall thickness for the internal passageway to the plug holes. JM

PS...Well....I should have read pg 2 before I posted this. I didn't see all of the posts listed above that gave similar responses.
 
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I don't think they were designed as freeze plugs but were sand casting ports, to clean after block was cast and then plugged. A change in technology or engineering somehow eliminated these in 41 and thereafter in the flathead.
 
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