I picked up the 20 buck "351c" today, and I am starting to have my doubts. First, only some of the tell tale signs are there. For instance, the oil valley on the top is usually marked with XXX or YYY somewhere...mine is not. The thermostat looks right with 90 deg. to radiator (flat on block horiz.) The casting # on the block is on the left rear if facing the front. It reads as follows D0AE-J and below that is another 9J22. This seems right that it is D =(7) 0= ('0) as in it is a '70 block. Do I in fact have a 351 Cleveland??
As for the head, I am pretty sure it is not for a Cleveland..no distinguishing "2V" or "4V" on any corner....the intake valves are 2" and the exhaust valves are 1-5/8"...The casting # on this is D5AE-A-2-A which I read as a '75...which again says not cleveland ('70-74).. the valves appear to be "canted"..also found a motorcraft sparkplug in it...(ASF 42C) again, not sure if it is a 17mm plug or not..a 5/8 socket fits like it should on the shoulder. Anyway, what is it from????
I hope I have a Cleveland.....I guess you get what you pay for, right???
If anyone can help steer me in the right way, it would be much appreciated!!!!!!!
Thanks,
Ryan

 

According to what I find on Google, the block is a 351C and the heads are 351M.

 

The D0AE is indeed a 1970 but just make sure n measure the bore, measure the crank also. Check the deck height. Does it have a curved bellhousing bolt pattern? or trapizoid like pattern? The crank will probably have a 4M on one counter weight if it is a 351C

 

9J22 is a casting date. on a DOAE-J block it means November 22, 1969.

apparently it is the FIRST Cleveland block cast as production! it is also the ONLY Cleveland block that has rear valley drain oil return holes! this may not be a good thing though, my theory is that the rear valley returns caused the Clevelands legendary "bad oil system" reputation. we never did get to the bottom of it, but if the rear valley returns intersect the rear head returns, the oil would not be able to return from the heads because the valley oil would fill the returns all by itself. the heads would fill with oil and the pan oil level would slowly drop lower and lower until there was not enough oil in the pan to maintain pressure. this scenario is if the driver was holding into the gas pedal for some time, but hardly unrealistic, it doesn't take long at all.

you could find out and let us know where those returns go, i hope?

the early Cleveland blocks do not have the XXX's and YYY's, they are on the later blocks and have nothing to do with the nickel content of the block. they are prolly an attempt to strengthen the lifter area? but the jury is out on that one the same as what the M actually stands for??

i'll take it off your hands for what you have into it if you think you got ripped! you keep the heads though.

 

Iowa Tower..thanks for the check..I feel reassured!!

385seriesHemi....the bellhousing has a trapezoidal shape....4 in bore...dont have the crank.. Thanks for the input!

grclark351....it does have the rear valley drain holes....it seems at the back side of the last two cylinders is about a 45 deg. hole about 3/8" dia. pointing towards the bell housing...the just drain back to the crankshaft as best I can see....as for the block, I am confused about the 1969 as compared to the 70? I realize ol' Henry liked to use & reuse and call it all the same!!!
As for feeling ripped...I have a tendency to buy before thinking or researching!!!! I think 20 bucks worked good this time.....ya think the Mrs. would see this as credit for all the other times????
Thanks again!!
Ryan

 

My book says that a DOAE-J is a 1971 351Cleveland block. D5AE-A-2-A heads should be 75-80 351M/400. 351C crank should be 4M or 4MA

 

the exact routing of those rear valley drains would interest a few guys, do they intersect the oil return passage from the rear of the heads? that return goes from the head, through the head gasket at the deck and down through the block to the oil pan on all Clevelands, but yours has the extra passage. can you spray a shot of WD or carb clean into a few passages and see what you can figure out?

 

That block numnber I find corresponds to the 1971 351 C 4v.

That D0AE Number is a design code number.

I'm still trying to confirm the head appliction.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
9J22 is a casting date. on a DOAE-J block it means November 22, 1969.

actually it means September 22.

Sept being J
Oct being K
November is L
with December being M

FORD never used an I.

 

what does the first digit "9" indicate? i'll agree on the september, i "missed it by that much". cast on september 22, 1969.

 

J is September. The letter I is skipped since it could be confused with 1. 9 is the last digit of the year cast and 22 is the day of the month.

 

I got one of these blocks, I had it hidden under the bench. Pulled it out to start another build. LMAO It is standard bore w/original bearings! Bearings look good and are nice, even plasta gauged em" 2 thousands. The bearings have a 4-22-70 date on them along with the fomoco symbol. I put a oil restricter kit in it and put it back together and I am just gonna run it with some fresh gaskets and my 4v cc heads. Lets see if it stands up to a 7.5k spin lol!

I too have the extra oil holes in the lifter valley. But for what I am doing it will be fine. Might be a good candidate for a stroker blocker since the bore is standard.

 

351c 1970-71 2-bolt main block