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Stamping code on new head

Posted: Fri May 30, 2025 8:21 pm
by Bmettli
Hi all,

I picked up a horrendous looking head at a swap meet last weekend for a mere $20. It looked fresh from a barnyard and even came with champion ford script plugs still in it. I let it marinate in Trisodium phosphate for the day and scrubbed the snot out of it. It came out a very very nice fresh casting! Very cool.

The marks on it are “11” near the top of the water inlet and stamped “15” on the inside of the water inlet. It is a high head. Any ideas what year? I assume that is Nov 15th?

Thanks

Re: Stamping code on new head

Posted: Fri May 30, 2025 8:26 pm
by Bmettli
picture resizing!

Re: Stamping code on new head

Posted: Sat May 31, 2025 8:51 am
by DanTreace
Typical casting letters or digits on high cylinder heads on the uppersurface over the water outlet are just casting tool identification numerals or letters. Helps to identify the casting tooling for control purpose.

Tiny mechanical stamped numerals on milled surfaces are always inspector's stamps, again for quality control.



Here are examples. They haven't any use in telling the age or time of fabrication.

IMG_8920 (520x390).jpg
IMG_8920 (520x390).jpg (103.05 KiB) Viewed 640 times
IMG_8919 (520x390).jpg
IMG_8919 (520x390).jpg (98.2 KiB) Viewed 640 times

This one casting letter is a fun one, a "Z".....but this is a factory Ford cast iron high head. Can confuse some who might think may be the Modern Alum Hi-Compression Zajicek made , Z Head, which is marked this same way.

IMG_1139 (500x367).jpg
IMG_1139 (500x367).jpg (87.18 KiB) Viewed 640 times

Re: Stamping code on new head

Posted: Sat May 31, 2025 11:11 am
by Bmettli
Thanks Dan!