How can I tell if a 223 is the correct year motor for a 1960 f100?

 

Do you mean is it the same engine the truck came with? Or is it what was in there in the frist place?

You can tell if it was suppost to have a 223 by the info in the VIN Plate.. But the block has no ID numbers on it to tell if its the OEM engine in there..

 

Was wondering if it is OEM or correct year engine. Such as can you tell by casting numbers on block if it could be correct year engine.

 

I have a 223 in my 1960.. There mostly the same.. You can look in my gallery and see if its the same.. but the 223 has very little changes from year 1. There no casting # to state year becouse Ford never had them done that way.. For all we know ford had all the 223 casted in 52 and just used up the stock intill there was no more.. Post your ID tag and we can tell you if your came stock with a 223 or with some other engine.. But to tell you its the OEM engine with the truck.. sorry.. there no real way to tell..

 

To the best of my knowledge, there are a few ways to get a ballpark estimate. I'm going to need to borrow some gallery photos.

The valve cover of 1959 and earlier engines had three ribs across it, and was held on by two bolts through the top of it.
<img src="https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gallery/tmp/468/46837.520.390">
(thanks to Huey Bryan for photo)
If you go back farther than '59, i think the FORD letters might also disappear at some point. I'm not sure about that.

1960 and later engines had a valve cover with a smooth top that was held down by a handful of bolts around the outside.
<img src="https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gallery/tmp/541/54149.520.390">
(thanks to Dana Fox for photo)

So, the valves are one clue. Also, some engines have a PCV system on them. I believe if it has a PCV system, that indicates it as either an earlier California-model truck, or a later (some time post-1960) truck.
<img src="http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/9/web/453000-453999/453221_3_full.jpg">
(this is from what is now my own project truck; photo by Gustavo)

I don't know what year PCV systems became standard on all trucks. My new '60 project truck has a 223 painted blue with a PCV system on it, and the truck was built in Jersey. My inference is that the engine is not original to the truck.

<img src="https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gallery/tmp/508/50875.520.390">
This is from my own truck. I bought the truck from the original owner, who my family knows very well. I know it is the original engine, and it has no PCV system. If you look just in front of the bellhousing, you can see the black road draft tube.

Hope these clues help you. If anyone has a problem with me using their gallery photos here, let me know, and I'll promptly remove them.

 

Thanks for all the info, the valve cover has the the two bolt set up.