Serial Number

Dick M

Dick M

Well-known member
I recently acquired a Model A engine. It had been sitting under a chicken house for many years. It is old, dirty, and has surface rust. I am in the process of disassembling the engine to see what I have. I hope to end up with a block I can rebuild.
The serial number on the block is an oddball (Star-RF3564-Star). There are also 8 smaller stars above the serial number.
Does anyone know what this serial number refers to?
 
Tom and Dan,

Thank you for your replies. I followed Dan's link and found it interesting. Long story short- RF in the serial number refers to the "Richmond Ford" plant located in Richmond, CA. The location of the engine I picked up was about 35 miles north of Richmond.
Some folks also said there would be a diamond stamped on the block just above the timing cover. Others said they had the RF block without the diamond. Both agreed the RFXXXX serial number was from Richmond.
I went back out and took the attached picture. I also wire brushed off the front of the block and did not find a diamond. I was unable to determine if the double row of stars covered up an original serial number. I could not see any evidence of an original serial number or any evidence of it being ground off. However, you can see the surface block casting imperfections behind the double row of small stars.
 

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Look close at your picture.The stars clearly cover another number.I'll bet your camera picked it up and your eyes can't.
 
From what I see the pad has been milled off, ---I suspect from how flat the area is it was milled off 2 times, and there was no more to mill so the top # was "starred out"---so most likely it has had several rebuilds ---what is the bore size?
 
With an engine change, RE-STAMPING was common, Chief even re-stamped a Plymouth-6.
At my Wrecking Yard, I saw one with an OBCENITY, stamped on it!!!
Bill W.
 
BILL WILLIAMSON said:
With an engine change, RE-STAMPING was common, Chief even re-stamped a Plymouth-6.
At my Wrecking Yard, I saw one with an OBSCENITY, stamped on it!!!
Bill W.
Click to expand...

Some makes used the chassis number as the VIN not the engine number. Buicks are like that seperate numbers for the engine and chassis with the chassis number as the VIN.
 
/ Reading your intro reminded of a 32 B engine I bought years ago that had been sitting in a chook yard (for a long time).
I gave it a quick dusting to get rid of any loose chook material, then 3 of us picked it up and laid it down carefully in the boot of my car, on the oil filler tube side (which was missing).
We arrived home, opened the boot and it was soaked/saturated with the contents of the sump. Stinking rotten chook poo which had been sitting inside the engine for years. Lifting it out seemed to spill even more liquid fertilizer into the car :-(
I hosed out the boot regularly but it took weeks to get rid of that manure smell.

The other depressing part was I left the lovely 32 chassis (standing against the chook shed wall) there as well......

Manuel in Oz
 
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