Head part number (on log)

[63Futura]

Well, I finished installing my new Holley 1940 last night on the Falcon. I got it from BFIC in Burbank, and they were great to work with. I got the carb for $149.99 + tax outright. The car runs immensly better now.

While installing the carb, I noticed that the part number on the log head is a C1 code. Now, the car was built in September of 1962 and has the 170 Special. Is it concievable that an engine built that late in 1962 for a 1963 model year car would use a 1961 built head?

I know that my father had the valves done at one time, and am kind of wondering if they gave him back the same head, or another one that they had sitting there.

Thanks for any thoughts anyone can give me on this.

 

[CoupeBoy]

Casting numbers are tons of fun (sic)
When Ford makes a part they give it a casting number a prefix, the basic part number and the revision. For example C5AE-6015-B, This part would have originally been made for a 65 Ford from the engineering department and the 6015 makes this part a block, and with revision B. If a minor change is needed for a part it gets a new revision and the prefix stays the same. Basic part numbers very very rarely change for the same type of item (block, head, distributor) but I have seen some minor weirdness. The trick is to find out what your part was originally designed for, when the revision took effect, that will give you a better date then the prefix alone. Also somewhere on the part is a date code explaining the month and day the part was cast, which would pinpoint precisely when it was made. I think the rule of thumb is that your part should be withing 3-6 months of the body build date for the car that it is in.


I've started working on a database to help look up part numbers
http://www.phlegm.us/workshop/
There are two links on that page that pretty much say the same information as above.
http://www.classicmustang.com/decoding_part_numbers.htm
http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/FordNumbers.htm

If I ever quit being cheap, I need to register for this site also
http://www.aacncclub.com/

lots of luck
-ron

 

[CZLN6]

Howdy;

Also know that there is not C2 casting. The codes jumped form C1 to C3 A C3 casting code indicates that the casting first appeared sometime in the '63 calendar year.

Add to that FoMoCos "Empty Bin" policy and it is entirely possible that a C1 casting came from Dearborn with a C1 head casting.

For all practical purposes the C1 and the C3 castings are identical with 1.52" intakes and 1.26" exhaust valves and aproximately 52cc chambers.

Adios, David