casting numbers crate motor
 

I recently bout a 1996 crate motor with svo aluminum heads that is suppose to have 340 hourse power I noticed that the casting num start and end with E__E but the 2 middle num look smashed does ford do this to the casting numbers on crate motors?The motor was used suposly 4000 miles on it and has been in a garage I bout it for $1300,but now I'm wondering if its really a 1996 and only has 4000 miles.

Well you don't say what engine this is, but if it is a 351 then the stock casting code for 1994-97 was F4TE, so that might be the block used in the crate engine.

Ford might have defaced the casting code when they supplied the castings to their aftermarket division, to differentiate it from the stock engine block. Of course it would be more classy to put a distinct, different code on the block but I suppose that would cost more.