Holy Crap! Kindergarten kids stamped my block. What do I have here?

[Kilohertz]

This is just bizarre. While I was playing with my ignition today I decided to have a look at my block serial number and found this....can anyone here decipher this? Yikes.

The original Canadian s/n is clearly stamped, but then there is a mish mash of crap ending with a star. The block casting is C1BA, heads are EAB.

I have read where C1BA actually had 4" crank in them...a couple of guys from Canada, one in Calgary and one in Ontario. I haven't been able to contact them to confirm... and I know the only way to really find out is to pull a head which I am not ready to do...yet.


So my guess is 1951 or '52....239...but who knows. It's the second stamping that has me confused.


Cheers

[petehoovie]

Originally Posted by Kilohertz

This is just bizarre. While I was playing with my ignition today I decided to have a look at my block serial number and found this....can anyone here decipher this? Yikes.

The original Canadian s/n is clearly stamped, but then there is a mish mash of crap ending with a star. The block casting is C1BA, heads are EAB. Cheers

[ford38v8]

An engine transplant may have had the serial number of the donor car obliterated.

[Rodrelic]

Dumb to think same but what # on trans pad where Id number really should be, similar?

[Kilohertz]

Originally Posted by Rodrelic

Dumb to think same but what # on trans pad where Id number really should be, similar?

It has an AOD in it now and the original tranny is buried.

I can make out some numbers but hard to tell for sure.

Thanks!

cheers

[Don T]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

I have 2 CDN 239 engines, original to a 50 Meteor and a 51 Mercury M-3. To my knowledge there was no serial number stamped on these blocks; only the production dates. If the engine date matched the serial # date you can only assume it came with the car/truck. My engine blocks also have some chicken scratches as well as "turtle" stamp punched in the block, I assume these to be production line signatures. Could the serial number be a "rebuild" stamp?

[VeryTangled]

Originally Posted by Kilohertz

This is just bizarre.....can anyone here decipher this?

Hi Everyone. The more I look the more I see a character that seems to be struck repeatedly.

[Will D]

Originally Posted by VeryTangled

Hi Everyone. The more I look the more I see a character that seems to be struck repeatedly.

Almost looks like they used the "1" punch to obscure the number after or before punching the 18617 above.

[Kilohertz]

Thanks guys for the analysis, very cool. I am going to take my best digital camera to the shop tomorrow and get a good clean closeup picture of it, I should be able to tell which stamps are over what digits... i.e. which were stamped first. Ultimately, it's probably not that important, it just intrigued me...maybe I have a "lost ark" engine. Also, I hope the damn thing has a 4" crank. I can confirm 100% this is not the original engine to the truck as the fellow I bought it from bought this engine from someone to replace the 351 that was in it when he bought it. Unfortunately, there was no history with the flathead engine he bought.


Cheers

[Tinker]

Just so you know ford never stamped flathead v8 blocks with serials, Flat 4s (model a) yes.

But it's a stamping. A lot of the stamps used there are not ford stamps. Well really none of the characters are correct. Maybe the later 4 (true ford stamps have serifs) but certainly the star. Probably a re-builders stamp detailing the rebuild. Now it's for you to figure out!


Rebuilt Canadian block 4" crank.... just to get you thinking.

[Tinker]

Just as a reference...

[Kilohertz]

Cool! Great way to extend the life of your BBQ tank too. Oh? Was that my outside voice?


cheers

[Kilohertz]

Originally Posted by Tinker

Rebuilt Canadian block 4" crank.... just to get you thinking.

That's so much what I am hoping. I will ultimately find out when I pull the heads to fit aftermarkets....


Thanks all, an interesting adventure....


cheers

[Kilohertz]

Any idea what year/decade this may have been?

[Tinker]

Maybe read... The change was in 31. Just remember flat8s never had serial stamps.

[Kilohertz]

Doh! thanks...bedtime.

[Tinker]

Originally Posted by Kilohertz

Cool! Great way to extend the life of your BBQ tank too. Oh? Was that my outside voice?


cheers

No idea what you are even talking about. I guess you answer a stupid question you get a stupid response.

[Tinker]

Originally Posted by Kilohertz

Duh, thanks...bedtime.

Neat.

[Will D]

Maybe it's a Canadian serial number copied from the frame at some point. The quantity of digits looks correct...



http://www.wnyrg.org/canvins.html

[Will D]

Originally Posted by Tinker

No idea what you are even talking about. I guess you answer a stupid question you get a stupid response.

BBQ tanks are stamped with expiry dates....just because you don't initially grasp something does not make it stupid. Sometimes clarification is all that's needed.