Hi all-

I think this post is a ND special:

A friend of mine is looking into purchasing a 1966 medium duty truck, VIN F60BR762630. It's at an estate auction in the area that we found online. The listing says it's a 6 cylinder and a 5 speed with a dump bed. Any further insight as to what equipment it may have would be a huge help. I do not have the other details from the VIN plate and the auction house hasn't been much help in obtaining that.

If it is the 300 six, would this be a forged crank model? (I realize that may be a shot in the dark.). Is about an hour and half drive to the auction house to see it so I'm trying to help him weed out if the drive is worth it.

Any help is much appreciated.

Thanks!

 

Tom, I say Bill is as good as the best and better than the rest, the best he can do is tell you how it left the factory 50 years ago. No telling what has been swapped in over the years, so it's no telling what will be offered at the sale.


John

 

F60 = F600.

B = 300 1V I-6. Parts catalog doesn't say if this a cast iron or steel crank.

R = San Jose CA Assembly Plant.

762630 = 1966, assembled October 1965.

TRANS, AXLE and etc. codes stamped on the Warranty Plate, riveted to the left door face below the latch.

 

Thanks Bill!

 

Parts books fall short when it comes to the B code for the 300. B code is used for both the light duty and heavy duty versions of the 300. The light duty version was used in 100 thru 500 F series. The heavy duty version was used on 600 series. The question is if your engine is original factory installed or has been swapped out.

 

Pic from 240/300 engine section of the 1964/72 Ford truck parts catalog.

Scroll down to 6303 .. the basic Ford part number for crankshafts.

 

The production date plate on the block should offer some insight there. Don't worry, I'm not talking about the casting number.

 

Every block casting number and date code (both are foundry marks) I've seen in the real world and here on FTE were cast on the block, not placed on a plate.

If you find a plate on a block, it was usually placed there by an engine rebuilder, would have the engine size and if an authorized Ford rebuilder...

The part number of the bare block with pistons, or short block (no heads) or long block (with heads) they installed.

 

I see a lot of blank spaces in the year and model column. Matter of fact, I don't see F 600 listed at all. Or is there more? Seems like it would be very difficult to order the right parts with the lack of model application details. My data books clearly show '66 F 600 uses 300 HD, '66 F100 thru F500 used 300 LD ( unless a special order, of course ).

 

What you see is what you get. Chart applies to all 1965/72 series' of trucks that used the 240 & 300 I-6's.

Pic: There's a 240 crank listed in the car parts catalog for 1965/72 Galaxie/LTD / This is also listed for 1965/72 truck 240's.

Notice in the car and the truck parts catalogs, that there's specific ID letter codes marked on the 240 & 300 L/D cranks.

On the 300 H/D crank, it has an ID engineering number marked on it.

 

Thanks for posting theses charts ND. My point is that Ford did not code the 300 LD and 300 HD ( both with same B code) in the same manner they coded the 330 MD ( C code ) and 330 HD ( D code ). So unless you have a data book that shows the F 600 originally came with a 300 HD, parts department personnel would basically have to tell the customer to pull the crank and then determine what they have. Again, who knows what's in a truck now, a clever well schooled short block exchanger could have snagged the forged crank block and gave them back a LD block.

 

Be aware that Ford used different VIN engine codes in 1964/65 for (3) FT engines. For the 1965: 240 I-6 in E100 & F100/350, for the 352 in F100/350.

1964/65: 330 2V Medium Duty: A / 330 2V H/D: M / 361 2V: K / 391 4V isn't listed in the engine code chart until 1966, then it's F 1966/78.

The IDIOTS used the J engine code for the 240 I-6 in '65. J was used 1957/64 for the 223 I-6.

D was used in '65 for the 352 2V, Y was used 1966/67 for the 352 2V, then the IDIOTS used Y for the 360 2V in 1968/76 F100/350's.

D was used 1966/78 for the 330 2V H/D