Searched the forum but can't seem to find what I'm looking for.

If a truck has a new engine in it, how can I figure out what year the engine is. I know there are VIN decoders, but that won't help in this situation. Is there a VIN-type decoder for engines? This is for a 460.

Thanks.

 

Look for head casting numbers right below the lip of the valve cover on the exhaust port side and block casting number behind the starter and post them. Or if the engine looks like its never been apart you can look for a two digit date (77,78,79,etc.) on the timing cover right behind the passenger side front of the balancer

 

Great. thanks.

 

In the old (changed mid-90s I think) Ford part numbering system, it worked like this:

4 character prefix -- (E.g. C6AP)
First digit was decade (B=1950s, C=1960s, etc.)
Second digit was year.
Third was main application, A= full size sedan, T=truck, Z=Mustang (at least some years) -- this varies over the years as models change. And, the prefix was for the FIRST application, if the part was reused in another vehicle no change
Fourth character was part family, E= Engine, P= automatic trans, etc.

The middle section was the base part number, which was unique to that parts function.

The last two digit (sometimes four in color coded parts) were used to roll minor engineering changes and variations. Usually start with AA, and roll the second character for minor changes (AB, AC, etc), rolling the first character for more significant variation (BA, CA).

Casting part numbers or prefixs are usually cast in somewhere, and change lless often than other parts. For example the D7TE block introduced in (did you read above) the 1987 model year was manufactured until the final balance out of 302 engines in 2000.

So one clue is, an engine won't be older that the oldest part number you can find, but it may be newer that a casting part number. Besides the block you should be able to find casting numbers on the heads, intake and exhaust manifolds, and the timing cover.

There is an engine code label or tag on every engine as it is shipped from the factory that can be decoded, but it might not be on an engine that has been swapped.

There are some other good feature identifiers, but for a 460 I just don't remember them, it's been 15 years.....

 

Do you mean the E7TE block?

 

Yeah, sorry, I am letter-number correspondence challenged this week.

They have had the new prefix system going for several years now and I still haven't learned it. However knowing the old system has helped me out a few times......

My first major project was the D9AP-7000-AA (AOD transmission).