Engine tag decoding?

falcon_master

Well-known member
Hi everyone. Happy Christmas Eve. I was out back looking at the falcon and I finally found what I was looking for. Caked in grease I found the engine tag on the coil. I screwed if off and wiped some of if off. I am officially bamboozled. I can not find anything that tells me what I have. They all contradict each other. So from the top. My warranty plate says it was manufactured with a 144 i6 and 3spd manual. The valve cover is light blue like 144s in 64. BUT the actual code on the passenger side of the block says it is a 64 170. and to add to the confusion the engine tag from too left to right reads: 144 64 2 and then on the bottom 4 D N1-B. So this tag contradicts what the block says. I have three things pointing to it's a 144 but the actual engine block says it's a 170. It's almost like someone took a 170 and tried to make it look like a 140 by painting it blue and putting the old engine tag in it. Can anyone help me here. At this point I'm guessing the only way to know for sure is to rip this thing apart. Thanks. Happy Holidays everyone
Jarod
 
as I remember the Handbook lists out the external differences for IDing

Try the Tech Archive above - I bet much of the same info's there...
 
Hi, it was always common (even today) to replace a worn out engine with something from the same engine family, a bolt in. Sometimes the original parts like the valve cover, carb, etc. were put back, sometimes not. None of the 144s I have seen we're drilled for the large bell housing, so if you can see two bolt holes, in the back of the block, just above the bell housing, I would say you have a 170. I do not know if all 170 blocks were drilled for both bell housings. Good luck
 
Easiest way is to look on the top of the road draft boss. It's on the front drivers side corner, top of the block. Clean that off with some brakleen and a wire brush. It will either have a T or an N stamped into it. If it has a T it's a 170, N = 144. It's that simple. If it doesn't have an N or T there and it's a 3 core plug block it's a 170 or maybe, but unlikely, a 4 main bearing 200.

ci/Ident-2.html

Btw afaik, the only code on the passengers side is the one on the head and you certainly can't trust that one to tell you what your block is. The block casting code is on the drivers side between the coil and the oil sender port. The only thing you can trust is the letter stamped into the road draft boss, or pull the head. They may have moved that tag from the old 144 to whatever is in there now when they swapped the coil over. I had a similar situation with my 64 Econoline, vin tag states 144, blue valve cover But the previous owner had been told it was swapped to a 170 sometime before he got it 25 years ago. I thought I may have had a 144, but after cleaning off that boss down to the metal there I found a T in a circle.

Here's a picture of the actual stamp on my 170 block:
iLo1va.jpg
 
You just never know with Ford, it's crazy. I'm curious if your distributor is 1/4" or 5/16" drive? I'd bet it isn't a 144. Mine was a C2 block casting iirc. It had a 1/4" drive oil pump and solid lifters.
 
"...c4de..."
mine's 4 yrs younger
8^ )
 
Maybe im not understanding how does the C4DE confirm its a 170, all its confirming is that its a 64 engine block, iirc the 144 was made till at least 64 meaning it could still be either or. Internally the 144 and 170 are the same, except the throw on the crank, at least prior to the switch to hydraulic lifters. The only 100% for sure way to tell is to pull the head rotate the motor till one till one of the cylinders is at BDC, cylinder 1 will be the easiest to verify and then measure the distance from the top of the piston to the top of the block rotate it back to TDC and retake your measurement this gives you the stroke of the engine if its 2.5 inches then its a 144 if its 2.94 inches its a 170
 
X2 yes except if you pull the plugs out you can use a piece of wire (coat hanger welding Rod ect.) to get you close enough in measuring the stroke lenght instead of having to pull the head. Have you done any testing as to the engines condistion, cleaning up of the electrical connections, fuel system, carb, ect. or tried to start it yet? If it's a 144 or 170 engine dosen't really matter all that much as either one will be decent enough to power that 1964 Falcon around. Good luck on the repairs :nod: (y)
 
Thanks for the tip guys I will have to do that. no I have not had it started yet. I was thinking about jumping it with my 08 Civic. But I've heard jumping old cars can damage modern car computers. Really don't want to have two dead cars
 
plez remove spk plugs, a Tbs of oil each, turn over w/BFW on crank- B4 U 'jump' it @ the minimum.
Remove VC & look C if ur gunna bend a push rod...if not run ina while.
These ol girls may B metal! but delicate if rusty~
 
falcon_master":3tch5uyn said:
Thanks for the tip guys I will have to do that. no I have not had it started yet. I was thinking about jumping it with my 08 Civic. But I've heard jumping old cars can damage modern car computers. Really don't want to have two dead cars

You would be better off getting a good battery that's fulley charged to use rather then trying to jump it. Good luck (y) :nod:
 
You might go after that upper area on the road draft boss with a chisel, brush and some solvent. It looks like there is still some crud there. I didn't mention I cleaned mine once and didn't see it the first time. It may just be my eye's or the lighting, but I can vaguely make out a circle there where mine was encroaching the ledge near the machined bit in your pic.
 
SpeedRacer":m18qj81l said:
If it has 3 freeze plugs it could be the 144 motor and 5 freeze plugs the 170 motor.

All 144's and 170's will have 3 freeze plugs, I haven't seen one for a long time but maybe the early 200's (the ones four main blocks) 1963 & 64 might also only have three. The 1965 up 200 blocks will have 5 as do all of the 250's. Good luck (y) :nod:
 
Tags can B moved lost etc.
if it has 3 freeze plugs it should be the 144 & 170 motor (on same pass side of motor as block casting code), 1965 up 200 blocks will have 5 plugs as do all of the 250's
3 H2O pump bolts on 200
4 bolts on the 250.

correct me if I'm wrong.
 
Back
Top