help identifying motor
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help identifying motor
Hey everyone just joined thread I just bought a56 fair lane with a 390 in it. The guy I bought it from said it was either a 68 or a 72 motor and he believes it's out of truck on front of block are numbers 45 352. Does not have original intake or carb. What is easiest way to tell exactly what I have here?
Post Fiend
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 14,325
Likes: 14
From: Island Southeast Alaska
45 352 tells me it is an FE as all FE's are cast with 352.
For the most part.
As to what CID it is that's another story.
Some one will be along and tell how to pull a spark plug
and measure the stroke. I don't remember the numbers.
Your car had a Y Block, prolly a 292 when new.
For the most part.
As to what CID it is that's another story.
Some one will be along and tell how to pull a spark plug
and measure the stroke. I don't remember the numbers.
Your car had a Y Block, prolly a 292 when new.
Postmaster
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 3,613
Likes: 6
From: Coal country
Here are the specs: 3.98 is the stroke for the 410 and 428 engines; 3.78 is the stroke for the 390, 406 and 427 engines and 3.5 is the stroke for the 352 and 360 engines.
Here's the easy way to check the stroke without removing the head. Get a straight 12 inch piece of white electrical house wire or coat hanger wire. Get a magic marker.
Remove a spark plug.
Turn the engine over by hand until the wire is at it's highest point. You might have to rock the engine back and forth a bit to get it to its highest point.
Make a mark on the wire even with the lip on the valve cover. Now rotate the crankshaft 180 degrees, until the wire is at its lowest point. Mark the wire again, at the lip.
Now, measure the distance between the two marks.
Here's the easy way to check the stroke without removing the head. Get a straight 12 inch piece of white electrical house wire or coat hanger wire. Get a magic marker.
Remove a spark plug.
Turn the engine over by hand until the wire is at it's highest point. You might have to rock the engine back and forth a bit to get it to its highest point.
Make a mark on the wire even with the lip on the valve cover. Now rotate the crankshaft 180 degrees, until the wire is at its lowest point. Mark the wire again, at the lip.
Now, measure the distance between the two marks.
Super Moderator
Joined: Apr 2004
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'68 car 390--good, 9.5 or 10.5 CR.
'72 pickup 390, pooch, 8ish CR with sunken pistons from the 410.
You need to find the date code, which is down under the starter:
Ford 352, 390, 406, 427 and 428 Engine Blocks
You will find lots of other info there as well.
Car specs for 1960s glory days of the 390:
http://www.fastfairlane.com/Engines/index-EG.html
Pooch or performer, the 390 is a good motor and you can get a lot out of one with the right parts.
'72 pickup 390, pooch, 8ish CR with sunken pistons from the 410.
You need to find the date code, which is down under the starter:
Ford 352, 390, 406, 427 and 428 Engine Blocks
You will find lots of other info there as well.
Car specs for 1960s glory days of the 390:
http://www.fastfairlane.com/Engines/index-EG.html
Pooch or performer, the 390 is a good motor and you can get a lot out of one with the right parts.
Super Moderator
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 34,508
Likes: 2,823
Possibly a 1965 garden variety 390.
If my limited research is correct, '65 was the last year for black long blocks with colored valve covers and air cleaners. The valve cover and air cleaner cover id'd the CID of the motor for easy ID by Ford techs. Fasteners were unpainted, as shown in your pic.
I say '65 as the valve covers have the "newer" pentroof look, vs. the older rounded smoothies. It also has an oil fill and what appears to be the fresh air supply tube or actual PCV connection for the PCV system. It appears to have car manifolds as well, non-performance jobs. (rules out 427, Cougar/Comet--which would be '67/66 & up-- and Canadian pickup motors)
'66 and up, they were all blue even in Mercury, if my "car shopping with dad and opening the hood of every car" memory and other sources are correct.
Other than that, you can't tell externally.
If my limited research is correct, '65 was the last year for black long blocks with colored valve covers and air cleaners. The valve cover and air cleaner cover id'd the CID of the motor for easy ID by Ford techs. Fasteners were unpainted, as shown in your pic.
I say '65 as the valve covers have the "newer" pentroof look, vs. the older rounded smoothies. It also has an oil fill and what appears to be the fresh air supply tube or actual PCV connection for the PCV system. It appears to have car manifolds as well, non-performance jobs. (rules out 427, Cougar/Comet--which would be '67/66 & up-- and Canadian pickup motors)
'66 and up, they were all blue even in Mercury, if my "car shopping with dad and opening the hood of every car" memory and other sources are correct.
Other than that, you can't tell externally.
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New User
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I pulled the oil pan and the numbers on the crankshaft read C4AE-B and on the heads they say C4AE 6090G and the tag on the carburetor says c5af ac B 5ca
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Look for a date code near or under the starter.
Could be an all original '65 motor just as it rolled off the line. C4 castings could have been used in '65 and the carb tag is '65 revision. (C5AF)
The carb tag date info (ac B 5ca) doesn't decode. See the decode here--you'll see that "ca" at the end "should be" numbers:
Ford Date Decoding id
Could be an all original '65 motor just as it rolled off the line. C4 castings could have been used in '65 and the carb tag is '65 revision. (C5AF)
The carb tag date info (ac B 5ca) doesn't decode. See the decode here--you'll see that "ca" at the end "should be" numbers:
Ford Date Decoding id
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