429 D0VE-A Question?
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From: Chimacum/Jefferson County
429 D0VE-A Question?
I have a question about the letter A casting stamp on the front driver side of a D0VE-A block. Everyone that has D0VE-A blocks, do you know what this A casting stamp means? I have a few D0VE-A blocks but only this one has this stamping. It's like tring to figure out Fords own Di Vinci code 
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From: iowa
It's sort of like a revision of the block, the Boss, and SCJ blocks were all stamped with that A. so what you have is a block that could have been used as SCJ block but wasn't machined for 4 bolt mains, they also used that front part casting mold for the boss block but it has different oiling passages internal on the block.
Basically it doesn't really mean anything other than when they build the sand cast for your block they used the front piece mold that had also been used for the really good blocks, I can't see the front area of the block in that picture but it may have the boss 9 bulkheads in it. The main reason you want to look for that block casting with the A, is if your scrounging junkyards and you have a choice of 2 engines one with, and one without that A cast into them grab the one with the A because you might get lucky and find a 4 bolt block that has been accidently put together as a regular passenger car engine.
Basically it doesn't really mean anything other than when they build the sand cast for your block they used the front piece mold that had also been used for the really good blocks, I can't see the front area of the block in that picture but it may have the boss 9 bulkheads in it. The main reason you want to look for that block casting with the A, is if your scrounging junkyards and you have a choice of 2 engines one with, and one without that A cast into them grab the one with the A because you might get lucky and find a 4 bolt block that has been accidently put together as a regular passenger car engine.
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From: Chimacum/Jefferson County
I kinda figured that might be the deal with the A stamp. Thanks Monsterbaby for the info. I took a pic of the front bulkhead but it looks almost the same as the rest of my D0VE-A blocks, but there is some minor things that are different. This block looks a tad bit beefier in some areas.
Last edited by Fordzzzz77; May 27, 2006 at 03:25 PM.
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From: iowa
Yeah it's got the boss 9 bulkhead, if you look right next to the cam tunnel the oil passage that would feed the passenger side lifters you have an area right below it, if it was an actual boss block there would be an oil passage drilled there also.
click HERE this is a picture of the backside of a real Boss 9 block notice that instead of the 2 pipe plugs for the oil galleries that your block has, there is 4 that is because the boss 9 had priority main oiling so they put in 2 more oil galleries to take the oil to the mains first then up to the lifter galleries, and that is the difference in the bulkheads teh Boss bulkhead has to have the material for those to be drilled through.
click HERE this is a picture of the backside of a real Boss 9 block notice that instead of the 2 pipe plugs for the oil galleries that your block has, there is 4 that is because the boss 9 had priority main oiling so they put in 2 more oil galleries to take the oil to the mains first then up to the lifter galleries, and that is the difference in the bulkheads teh Boss bulkhead has to have the material for those to be drilled through.
Last edited by monsterbaby; May 27, 2006 at 04:09 PM.
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From: Chimacum/Jefferson County
Thanks Monsterbaby for the schooling. Hey we learn something here everyday. I've seen Boss blocks before but really paid attention to the small details such as that. Now I know to look for an additional feature when I come across another block.
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