couple ID questions

HI.. Ive been reading posts from several forums for the last couple hours on ID of FEs. went to the junk yard today to look for an engine for a car i want to build, and came home with what I was told was a 390FE. has block, oil pan, heads, fly wheel, valve covers, crank, cam, pistons, and valves. paid $100 for it. from what I can find of numbers..........
block 352 date code 8j17 (or 9j17) cant find other numbers anywhere on block...none on left rear flat under head, or right front or elsewhere that I can find. does have DIF and mold number. Heads are C8AEH. Also DIF on heads. never looked for date on heads. Pistons have c3 number on end of rod. pistons stamped 360. timing chain cover also has c8 date on. so I know its a standard FE block from the 60s(352) and made 17JUL68/69, and heads are '68 Galaxie and all forged at Detroit. should I assume that It is a 360 per the piston size, or is it possible the same 360 piston could be on a different length rod or crank with an alternate throw to make it something other than a 360? Also I have not found a number on the crank weight. (have to dissassemble fully tomorrow to look) also looks very clean inside like it was rebuilt recently, and freshly painted blue, but the internals all have ford markings and no "0.30" or anything on the piston tops. I've heard that FEs were constantly changing and parts were all the time swapped by the manufacturers,and I wonder if the really best way is to just measure the bore and stroke. since basically all the parts for FEs are interchangeable, maybe I'll just make it real pretty and shiny and loud, and dont tell anyone that I dont know what the heck it really is...lol

Sam

Lots of 390's have 360 pistons. A Galaxy would have had a 390, the 360 was a truck engine. Best bet is to measure the stroke, but my money is on it being a 390.

I'd bet 390 too based on all the 1968 date codes. Most 360s were in trucks through the 70s and would have dates to match along with some DxTE pieces on them.

390 and 360 share the same block. Both stock have a 4.05 bore. 390 crank stroke is 3.78 and the 360 a shorter 3.50. Common 390 crank numbers are 2U and 3U and can been seen on the edge of a counterweight. Common 360 cranks are 2T and 2TA located in the same area. With mention of the C3 rods (C3AE-C I'll assume) I'll venture to say it's a 390. Also the C3 (63-64) rods are not original to the engine. 8J17 or 9J17 are the date code of 68/sept/17 or 69/sept/17 and the head date codes are between the center 2 valve springs. Remember to skip the letter "I" with month date codes as it was skipped and not used. So J is Sept. If date matching to the block they'd be fairly close to the blocks casting date. Within 2-3 weeks earlier or later normally. The C8AE-H heads are bread and butter heads used on many engines. It's the bolt pattern that's model specific. The vertical 8 pattern is common to trucks and larger pass cars. And the 14 bolt pattern common to S code (Mustang-Cougar-Fairlane) apps where the shock towers were close. Service heads are 16 bolt and universal for all exhaust manifold bolt patterns. Even though they have a C8AE-H casting number they can have a later casting date till 71 or thereabouts.

also...heads are verticle 8

sam

have it completely apart. crank has no markings except "17" and "18" on the front weight, "44" on the rear weight, and an "X" stamped into the side of the front weight along with what looks like a "C" that may have been scratched in the mold

What shape cutout on the crank flange square or half moon? And are the rods C3AE-C? If they are and there's a square cutout it's at least a 390 crank. The 3.50 352/360 cranks only have the half moon cutout on the flange. If it's a 66 or earlier 390 crank it could have both the half moon and square cutout. Strange there's no ID numbers on it anywhere.

I posted a comment a few hours ago that doesnt show. I messed up when I said C3 for the rods. piston heads inside say C8...side of rods say C7T(truck?) and end caps on rod(part that slips over studs around crank) are C8. Block is J10, heads are J12 and J2, all with a symbol before the J that looks like one of those "yellow ribbon" magnets that people put on their cars, and DIY. only markings on block are 253 with mold number, J10, large A1 also by oil filter, and thats all I can find unless somethings painted over.crank has half-moon cut-out for key on front end. no other markings that I can find except "17...18...44....X...and scratched C"....all in seperate places on the crank. I measured the stroke with a strait-edge flat on the cylendar block and a tape rule and got 3.50 So I am guessing heads are original with block, all basicly C8 and J within 10 days and originally a 360.
from what I have read of wall thicknesses, I will get it bored .030, and maybe look for a 390 crank and new rods...do oil mod, and get good headers and duel exhaust and maybe open intake ports (I think I read that intakes wearnt as much of a problem as exhaust flow).
I'm just doing this for fun. I'm not going to race or anything...probly just sit at the local Big Boy on car night and screw around about town. trying to build a hotrod/ratrod. starting frame tomorrow. have ford 9-inch rear(N case), this engine, and have a line on a 4-speed manual trans from a 62 galaxy 390fe. any suggestions for ideas are welcomed.


thanks again for all the help.

Sam

C7TE-A yep long rods for the 352/360 and would be original. All the date codes sound right for number matching. Don't sweat the block casting numbers. Many of them didn't have them anyway. All the numbers you see on it are just part of the mold numbering system. DIF is just the Dearborn foundry logo. .030 should be no problem for cleanup. If your anywhere near Barry who posted above get in touch with him. He's one of the best FE guys out there. www.survivalmotorsports.com