MTFCA Forum

I have, what I believe is a replacement block. Casting numbers show 9-16-19. Serial number is 1338787, July 10, 1916. There is no sign that the boss for the serial number has ever been altered, and no sign of even a faint previous number. Also the boss for the water inlet is at the same height as the number pad. The block would have had that area milled to remove an old number so neatly. Thoughts ?

What you think, is what I think too, replacement block stamped with customer's serial number.

Besides the conflict in the serial number being earlier than the block casting date, I have wondered if the way the serial number stamping appears might also bean indication of a replacement block. I would expect original stamping digits to be upright (not slanted), the bottom of each to be in a relatively straight line. Reason for thinking - if your job was to stamp the numbers, you be pretty good at lining them up. A Dealer's mechanic might not have the experience or purpose to make the numbers look pretty.

Number font is different than factory stampings

RGould1910 wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 28, 2021 12:36 pm

Number font is different than factory stampings

Good point The #3 is an easy tell on the questionable stampings - looks the same on the chassis stampings as well. Nit sure what to say about the chassis on the left - font okay but digit alignment and spacing questionable

All leading me to believe this is a replacement block. Car would only have been 3 years old at the time. Darryl

sweet23 wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 28, 2021 3:49 pm

All leading me to believe this is a replacement block. Car would only have been 3 years old at the time. Darryl

Yep, likely the owner left water in the cooling system over a freezing winter, and original block got cracked. Or a bit more rare, threw a rod and smacked open the side of the block

If the block is with the transmission etc., another confirmation of the above discussion would be the date stamped on the transmission stub shaft. You may have the original transmission. The latest example I have is December 1914 so I don't know how long this continued since it began in 1908.

If you have the engine apart, it's one of the few places an actual date is stamped during assembly. The transmissions seem to be assembled just a few days ahead of being placed in an engine. The one below is July 11, 1913, and went into an engine assembled July 17, 1913, according to Bruce's Book. The block was cast in June and the rest of the car/drive train fit the "July 1913" time period.

Your engine assembly date of July 10, 1916, would seem to suggest a transmission dated the last week of June 1916

Someplace, I saw a photo of a tool that had a handle like the tool used to lift the round covers on a wood burning cook stove and a slot for about 8 number punches, with a thumb screw on the far end to lock the numbers in the slot.

The tool was evidently held over the serial number area and hit hard with one whack.

The numbers were then in a nice neat row.

That is one way to tell if the block is original, but there is no information on how soon this tool was available or how long it was used.

Perhaps Ford used a gang tool. But this photo from 1927 shows a belt holster with large punches, and a plate stuck to the lower side of the water inlet, the plate acting as a guide to locate the large square shaft of each numeral punch. That guide assisting in helping the numbers be in a neat row too.

After enlarging the photo that Dan posted with the worker using a guide you can just see one side of the alignment plate that shows the outline of a pin that was used that was just small enough to slide in the holes in the block to hold it in place. Now that would hold the stamps straight. Don’t know if the dealers had one of those or not or if it was a actual Ford tool or just a mock up to get the job done. Interesting!

Most of the engines I have seen are not stamped very straight, including all three of my cars.