I located a what appears to be a 390 by the engine tag. Can someone decipher this engine tag for me before I decide to buy it?
Tag numbers:
390 67 8
7 B 311 A

The cast date on the block is 7A31 and the date is 7A12 on the intake manifold. This tells me the intake and block are likely the original factory assembled combo. The heads are so grungy that I couldn't find the codes on them yet.
This engine is supposedly out of a Thunderbird. I know that it came originally in a car because it has the oil filter adapter that holds the oil filter in a vertical position. It has an FMX transmission attatched to it also. For some reason the Power By Ford valve covers are chrome also. The part that is strange to me about this engine is the 2bbl intake manifold on it (C7TE 9425 F). I always thought the 390 would have a 4bbl intake and carb setup in a car especially a Thunderbird.

 

Let me try, but keep in mind my knowledge is limited compared to others here... The 7A31 I believe is 1967, January 31st. As well the 7A12 would fall in to line, with a 1967, January 12th. As far as the intake, I was under the impression that the TE was a truck designation, but the C7 would be a 1967 vintage as well (C=60's 7=67).
--MG

 

I'm working on a tag decoder but don't have enough information yet to get it going.

So for now all I can say is your engine was assembled in Feb. of '67. Hmmm... looks like the block was barely cool before they started assembling it.

Looks like you also have a numbers matching engine.

"T" intakes were used on the passenger cars too but I didn't know you could get a 2V in a Tbird.

Chrome "Powered By Ford" vc's were used on the 390GT and 428CJ.

Barry

 

Thanks guys. I am going to look this engine over some more and post what I find on the head casting dates maybe even pull the oil pan off and get the crank code.

I have to say this engine appears to have never been taken apart except for the intake being a little cleaner than the rest of the engine which has a healthy layer of buildup.

 

Just got back from looking closer at the numbers and found C7AE on the heads and C6AE on the exhaust manifolds. So it appears to have been a car engine and maybe someone had swapped over to a 2bbl intake and carb for some reason which would explain the C7TE intake manifold. Also found C7SA on the AC compressor bracket. I'm not familiar with the SA designation and what it means. Anyone?

 

Is there a website with the decode information on it? If not, how do you decode this gibberish? A book perhaps? Le tme know something please.

 

Trucks used an AE number on the driver's side exhaust manifold and a TE on the passenger side. If you see a AE number on the passenger side exhaust manifold, it was in a car.

 

Both exhaust manifolds have the C6AE codes on them. This engine I have discovered is what is called a "Thunderbird Special" 390. These were setup with a 2bbl intake and carburetor just like this one has and is equipped with chrome valve covers. I have been told that only 390GT and 428 FE engines could have had the chrome valve covers. The Thunderbird Special 2V 390 FE had them also.
Finding out that this is a car engine is ok. The important thing to me is knowing that it is a 390 and not a 352 or 360. If it had turned out to be a 428 I would have been surprised beyond belief.

 

Very interesting! I don't see it listed anywhere in the Ford service info that I have. On paper the '67 T-Bird only got the 4V and that was called the 390 Thunderbird Special rated at 315hp (Z code). The 2V version was just called the 390 Thunderbird rated at 275hp (auto, Y code) or 265hp (manual, H code) and could be had in pretty much anything except the T-Bird. When you tear it down I'd be interested in knowing if it had 4V pistons in it.

Barry

 

I may have misunderstood what I read and it meant just Thunderbird 390. Like you stated, the Thunderbird special was a 4V and the Thunderbird 390 2V wasn't an option for a Thunderbird in 1967.
I'll post soon whether it has 4V pistons or not after I get it apart. It could be that it has them and the only real differences in a Thunderbird special 390 and a thunderbird 390 are the intakes, carburetors and camshaft profiles. I am just very happy to have found an original engine that hasn't been rebuilt before. Well It may have been, but the layer of buildup is so much that it is very unlikely.

 

I have finally gotten this engine to turn over enough to start removing some pistons. I had to ream the ridge off at the tops of the cylinders before the pistons would come out. The ridge wasn't too bad, but I didn't want to have any trouble getting the pistons to come out. I have found 390 2V on them which seems correct since the intake and carb were 2V. This engine has never been rebuilt before and has the stock standard bore 390 pistons and 12 66 stamped into the backs of the bearings which stands for December 1966.

I found the block casting code which reads C6ME-A. I know that this is a code that is supposed to be found on some 428s, but this block doesn't have the reinforced webbing like you should find in a 428.

I know that this engine is old enough to require the leaded gasoline to prevent valve seat wear yet none of the valves are recessed into the head at all that I can tell like in other engines I have rebuilt. Believe me this engine is a high mileage engine. The valve stems have dimples worn into them by the rocker arms. I have never seen any this bad before. But they are worn more on one head. The other head looks average. Obviously the one head wasn't getting enough oil to the valve train. At first I thought that someone had replaced one head at one time, but the date codes matched and the head gaskets are them same type, so it appears to have been an oiling problem.

I am not entirely sure if I should install hardened valve seats in these heads or not. What are you thoughts on doing this? I have had a couple of sets of heads done this way, but I wonder if it was really needed that much.

This oil pan has an inner liner welded in that has a long angled slot to help get oil back into the bottom of the oil pan. I thought this was only in 428s! It looks identical to the ones pictured in the books for the 428 Cobra Jet.

Oh I almost forgot. When I removed the crank pulley there was another pulley hidden inside of it held into place by the large balancer bolt. I haven't heard of this setup before. Anyone else?

 

Just for your information, there were some high compression 2 bbl 390's, the one in my 68 Monterey is one. This motor is the same as a 4bbl 390, just had a 2 bbl intake and carb. It is also not unusual for a "truck" part to be installed in a car application. The "S" in the 3rd position in a part or casting # is the designation for Thunderbird. The pulley in a pulley isn't unusual either, it's actually the older style balancer.

 

Hey, just noticed the old Ford V8 Engine Workshop is back on the air, check out their ID tag info:

http://www.wrljet.com/engines/