I'm not familiar with how Ford id's their engines. Is there a stamped number like GM? The cast number on my engine is C3AE 6015 AC. I understand the 6015 is in all the Ford engine casting numbers so maybe the other numbers/letters narrow it down.
Ford wasn't very big on stamping numbers on engines back then. Instead, they stamped numbers on a little metal tag, and held it to the engine with a bolt, usually one that also held on the ignition coil. So the tags usually disappeared. The same casting "engineering number" was used for several years, so it will tell you how old the engine could be, but not how new it could be. They also did have a casting date, sometimes...usually a number, letter, and number. Year, month, day. like 3 E 23 would be May 23rd, 1963.
Post a picture of it. Numbers won't help you much.......how is the valve cover held on? 2 large bolts on top is 54-59ish, small perimeter bolts is 60-64. other than that they didn't change much over the years
Don't have a pic however it's got the perimeter bolts rather than 2 studs holding the valve cover. Must be 60-64.
With an engineering number starting with C3, it must be 1963 or newer. C = 1960s decade. 3 = third year in the decade.
I have a set of rod bearings in the For Sale forum if you need some for a build. Maybe some gaskets too as I have a pile of them I don't know what they fit.
The engine is either a 63 or 64. There isn't much difference between all of the 223's. The 64 has a different oil pump set up that is desirable for the folks who swap in distributors from the Ford 240/300 family. The 54-59 223 valve cover setup is more desirable since you can still get an Offy finned cover. These are pretty durable workhorse 6 cylinders. Ford even used them in tractors.
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