Weird engine number: RF4504

R

racer32

Senior Member
Maybe it's just newbie ignorance here, but I just brought home this engine that was in a friend of mine's AA truck. What's up with the serial number? Shouldn't it be AA-something? It doesn't look as though the pad has been machined.
 
It was probably a replacement engine and may have come out of some industrial or farm equipment. It may be a ♦ (diamond) block. Ford sold Model A engines for industrial use (without Ford SN's) where the manufacturer of the equipment may or may not have stamped their own SN. Attached is a pic of a Diamond Block I have with a clearly unmolested SN, like yours.
 

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Nothing to fret about -I bet it has been machined sometime- can you post a picture- the script may give a clue.Many As carry peculiar engine numbers- often the original number was ground down prior to restamping with with whatever Old George felt like when it was rebuilt sometime in the last eighty years.
 
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My 31 engine has RF7428.... I was told 40 + years ago that the R indicates the engine was built at the Richmond CA engine plant..

Rog
 
Since the head has a freeze crack (darn water:mad:) I would also check the block for cracks in the cooling chambers. Also be sure to clean out the coolant chamber while the head is off. Using water only causes rust and there might be a lot of rust flakes hiding in the rear of the block, as there were in my used engine.:mad:
 
Tom, I'll definitely check it if/when I get around to pulling it apart. I'm hoping it's OK, but the freeze damage to the head concerns me. Since the head's toast, is there much hope for a crack-free block?
 
Quite a lot of hope, actually. The usual tendency of these things was to fail the centerline of the head longitudinally. This provided "relief space" and prevented damage to lower parts of the cooling shroud.

You can check it with the head off. Drain coolant. Remove head. Then fill gently (including radiator if you're sure of it) up to the open spaces around the cylinders using an eyedropper towards the end (overstated but you get the idea.)

If the coolant won't stay at the level, then you have a leak somewhere. You may see it on the floor. Or possibly in the oil pan (don't forget the water jacket is two sided.) Best indication is dropping level which you can easily see.

Good luck with this. Even heads can be welded shut - but it's hardly worth the effort. $25 will usually bring you a fine head you can have flattened. Or better go buy the high compression head at Snyders or others.

Joe K
 
racer32 said:
Tom, I'll definitely check it if/when I get around to pulling it apart. I'm hoping it's OK, but the freeze damage to the head concerns me. Since the head's toast, is there much hope for a crack-free block?
Click to expand...

Yes, my head was cracked just as Joe described, when I bought my 28, but the block was perfect.:)
I bought a nice looking short block at an auction years ago, but after cleaning it up I found a freeze crack in the valve chamber.:mad:
 
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