Thread: I need some help IDing with this motor

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HELP!!!!!!

Okay I'm new to the FE world so please bare with me. I picked up a supposed 390 last weekend, scrapped the dirt off it and we cant find any casting numbers. I found the block date "2L8" but no castings. the block has 352 all over it, and some other numbers right beside or above the 352's like 91,54and DIF.

We drained it and flipped it over and the bottom of the block has ribs on the sides leading down to the oil pan??? what does this mean?? took the oil pan off and the only numbers we found there were the ones off the crank "C4AE-B" what does this mean?

whats more confusing is that I did a stroke check on it and the stroke is 4 inches? I cant figure this out for anything, this damn motor is frustrating.

the next thing is, is that it has a 2brl carb on it. and one head that reads "D3TE-AA" and the other reads "C8AE-H" two different years?


can anyone please tell me just what the heck I have in my garage?

I greatly appreciate any information you can spare!!!

thanks,
John

If you were reading the numbers correctly the crank is a 1964 cast iron 427 , the poor thing must have got hot and busted one then replaced it ?? the one is from a 1972 to 1976 390 , and one from a 1968 824 ....What the hell!!

Is this engine on ebay?

G.

Since you measured the stroke at about 4", the crank is more likely to be a 428 unit (3.980" stroke). Also, the ribs on the outside of the block were used on the 428 blocks and 391 truck blocks to the best of my knowledge.

Thanks for all the help.

What I am trying to find out now is can you put a 427 crank in a 428 block? if thats what block I have? I didnt know they were interchangable? I have heard about stroking a 390 and putting a 428 crank in it. but I have never heard of puting a 427 crank in a 390 block or a 428 block? this is why I was told its a 427. due to the crank castings. This motor is being a pain.

I am in the process of trying to get the heads off in order to check the bore. thats what everyone else is telling me to do. if I can check the bore then that will tell me exactly what I have.

thanks again,
John

"if I can check the bore then that will tell me exactly what I have."

Not necessarily. It could have been bored. See this chart for standard bore sizes....
http://users.erols.com/srweiss/tablersn.htm

John your block is a 72/Nov/8th casting. The lack of a casting number and the vertical ribs was very common for 72 truck and service replacement blocks. At some point the C4AE-B crank was added. It could have modified for the 4.00 stroke if your certain it is that. Or you might have measured wrong and it's a 3.78 stroke. Either way for sure the crank has a 390/427 casting number. The C4-B crank was used in 390 HP, HD and PI applications besides the 427. IU, IUB and IUA are factory 428 3.984 crank numbers. You can use almost any combination of FE/FT blocks and cranks and have them interchange. What number is on the connecting rods? I'd also triple check that crank stroke. If someone has taken the time to stroke that crank to 4.00" it could be worth a pretty penny. No biggie on the heads. C8-H heads later evolved into the D2-AA heads. They are the same casting just different numbers. The C8 a 68 and later, the D2 72 and later. Same chamber and valve size. The D2-AA having hardened seats from the factory. C8-H did not.


G.