Mind boggling engine numbering thought...

Very interesting discussion you started Steve, but like many other "A" questions, definitive answers are still lacking...
 
Here's another original number to compare. Seems that if the numbers were mounted in a holder the stars should always be in the same position and the spacing more exact, but they seem to be random. My feeling is they were stamped individually, but I don't know that for sure.
 

Attachments

  • Engine Number.jpg
    Engine Number.jpg
    108.2 KB · Views: 50
  • Engine number original2.jpg
    Engine number original2.jpg
    80.9 KB · Views: 48
  • Engine Number Original.jpg
    Engine Number Original.jpg
    30.9 KB · Views: 51
If someone had a collection of Automitive Industries magazines and the time to thumb through them I'm sure there would be a feature on an add for the numbering machine. Bob
 
I have an engine in a chassis I bought a few mos. ago that doesn't have a number stamped on the engine. What's up with that? Old boy made a bathroom trip missed a few?
 
I have an engine in a chassis I bought a few mos. ago that doesn't have a number stamped on the engine. What's up with that? Old boy made a bathroom trip missed a few?

Does it have the original cast surface, or was it ground smooth?

Is it an A block or a B block?
 


I also do think the lower picture was a promotional image as it appears the engines behind these do not have Gear Shift Lever installed. The two questions I have always wondered after studying these pictures is;

How/why did they spin these engines when it appears the engine did not have oil installed, --yet they saw the need to use water for coolant during this test. If they did indeed use oil during this process, where is the provision to drain it? Another two reasons why I believe oil was not used during this process is earlier in the engine machining process, I have seen documentation that shows the main bearings were burnished during the crank fitting process. Also, with a tight-fitting main cap, if oil was indeed used during this process, it would have been difficult to get all the oil evacuated from the valve chamber area and the dipper tray in prep for shipping. Therefore this step has always baffled me as to what they were trying to accomplish. I know that some folks say he was testing to make sure the engine was good before it was installed however his machining and engine assembly methods were so precise that I cannot see a valid reason for this step. So what am I missing??

Next, notice the Gear Shifter Housing. I have wondered how they were able to install the Shift Lever into the Gear Shift Housing and get the spring & clip installed with the shift rails installed once the engine assembly had been shipped to the Branch. One could take the position that maybe the shift forks and rails had not been installed yet during this 'engine test operation' however I think the possibility of two gears meshing simultaneously during the spinning process would happen enough times where it would be a problem unless there was a way to position the gears as it was spinning. Thoughts on this??

.
 
The engine in the upper photo appears to have something extra protruding for an inch or so above the actual tower. Perhaps this is a tool that goes down into the notches on the shift forks to hold them at center.

[FONT=&quot]As an aside, look at patent # 1803761 [/FONT]perhaps linked here: https://www.google.com/patents/US18...a=X&ei=c24PU_vHOabd0wHhmoDoCQ&ved=0CDwQ6AEwAQ

And open the PDF...shipping instructions for your engines AND a nifty Ford U-Joint bracket to anchor the engine in your boxcar!
 
My engine has the pad for the engine number in what I would call "as cast".

Is there a number on the chassis?

Ford sold to dealers bare blocks and/or short blocks without numbers on them. This might of been one of those cases where the original engine went bad, the dealer, or whoever, got a new short block from Ford, put it in the chassis without stamping the number on the engine.

Pluck
 
Back
Top