Please Help me Identify this FE

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Apr 11, 2011 | 01:42 PM

BlundellSpeed

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Joined: Sep 2010

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From: Orange, CA

Please Help me Identify this FE

I Have an FE Block I am having trouble identifying.
4.108 Bore +/- .003
390 Stroke
2 motor mount holes each side
no 352 casting on front of block
no date code near oil pan in front
These are the Casted #'s on the side of block
B9AE6015B on side of block
8BF:3
33
4
22
DIF

Is this a 59 year? and if so can you really bore these .112" over??
what is it???
Thanks Chad

Apr 11, 2011 | 08:44 PM

jchamp429

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Joined: Feb 2011

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From: Spokane, Wa.

The casting number says its either a 59' 332 cid or a 59' or 60' 352 cid block. As far as the 390 stroke, you can put a 390 crank in these blocks, but you have to use the 390 connecting rods and the 352 pistons or else they will pop up above the top of the block. The 332 had a bore of 4.00 inches, so bored out .108 is really pushing it, to put it in perspective the 390 had a bore of 4.05 and the 406/428 had a bore of 4.13 (but this was a much thicker stronger block). I read somewhere that the later blocks had an issue with the mold slipping resulting in offset wall thickness limiting the ability to over bore very much, but a 59' or 60' block would not have this issue, and in the same post I read that some 390 blocks have been successfully bored .080 over resulting in a 4.13, but this is risky. If your thinking about rebuilding and boring this thing I would highly suggest getting it sonic checked first. The only other possibility I can find is that you could have an easel 361 which was the same block as the 352 but was bored factory at 4.05 like the later 390. They made these in 58' and 59' but they are rare and I don't know what the block casting number would be. Even if it where one of these it would still ne bored .058 over factory and should be checked out before boring any more. Hope this helps

Apr 12, 2011 | 07:47 AM

krewat

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From: Long Island USA

Sounds like a .060"-over 390, but with a '59 casting number, well, who knows what it was

Apr 12, 2011 | 08:18 AM

jchamp429

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Joined: Feb 2011

Posts: 243

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From: Spokane, Wa.

Good point. Some blocks came with a 352 on the front and some didn't. Some had a casting date, some didn't. I guess its not much of a stretch of the imagination to think a hung over employee accidently put a B instead of a C in the mold for a run of blocks

Apr 14, 2011 | 07:29 AM

FFR428

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From: CT

The 8BF:3 is the date code and on earlier blocks it was above the oil filter on the side of the block in a larger font. Yours is 58-Feb-? :3rd shift. The "F" you posted should be a number which would be the day of the month it was cast. The block is a 59 production year block. I don't think it can go much bigger as is seeing it started out as a 4.00 bore 332-352 block. But you might get one more out of it, as suggested a good sonic map will tell the story.

Apr 14, 2011 | 08:33 AM