I just purchased a 1973 F250 4wd as a restoration project. The motor is a 460 with a Holley Carb. Is there a way to determine the year of the existing motor. I have seen some posts referring to casting numbers?

 

well for one, the motor is not stock to the truck. they didn't put 460's into 4x4's till the mid 80's. and i think 74 or maybe it was 76 that the 460 was first offered in the 2 wd trucks.

that being said, the casting numbers on the block and heads will only tell you the year that particular block or head was first used. you can narrow it down to a range of years that particular casting number was used.

for example, the D1VE blocks were used from 71 to around mid 79 when the D9TE block came out which was used till the end of the 460. the D3VE heads were first used in 1973 till around 1986.

the first letter is the decade (D = 1970's, E = 1980's) the second number is the year, the 3 rd letter is the vehicle the division that the motor or part was originally designed by (V stands for Lincoln, but was used in all car and truck lines) and E is for engine part.

you can find the block casting number behind the starter and the head casting number is between the center exhaust ports.

if the engine has been untouched, then there should be a tag bolted to the front of the engine or distributor that gives the actual date the engine was made.

there are casting dates cast into the parts, but am not sure exactly where they are or how to decode them.

hope this helps.

rgds
Mike

 

Thank you VERY MUCH for the info mcdonaldm!