Confusing dates
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Joined: Oct 2003
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From: Canadian Wasteland (Edmonton)
Confusing dates
While pulling my 351m/400? (still dont know which, I'll find out when I get to the Crank) out of a Thunderbird and checking the casting codes I found that my intake manifold appears to be off a truck D7TE 3425-SA, and both of my heads were cast at different times 7J6, and 7E23 but I found no pattern stamps. Both heads were cast at the Cleveland Foundry and there is a circular stamp on both of the that reads 97531 but I still cant tell if they are 2V or 4V heads. Is it possible that my heads were cast at different dates and the engine built later? (This is supposedly the original engine) Is there an easy way to tell whether I have 2V or 4V heads?
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Joined: Aug 2000
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From: (near) Denver USA
Most M-blocks (351M/400) in both cars and trucks used the truck manifolds starting in MY1977.
I have seen many engines with heads and manifolds cast up to a few months before the block, but heads cast 4 months apart seems unlikely (not impossible) to be original on the same engine. I'm further suspicious of casting dates that span a model year changeover (May and September). The engine could be original, with a replaced cylinder head.
Casting ID codes on heads from the Cleveland Foundry are located on the bottom of the intake ports. You'll have to take off the intake manifold to see them.
No 4V heads were cast after early 1974, and since your heads both have 1977 casting dates, they are 2V heads.
I have seen many engines with heads and manifolds cast up to a few months before the block, but heads cast 4 months apart seems unlikely (not impossible) to be original on the same engine. I'm further suspicious of casting dates that span a model year changeover (May and September). The engine could be original, with a replaced cylinder head.
Casting ID codes on heads from the Cleveland Foundry are located on the bottom of the intake ports. You'll have to take off the intake manifold to see them.
No 4V heads were cast after early 1974, and since your heads both have 1977 casting dates, they are 2V heads.
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