Question on engine block VIN

[wolf k]

I am in the initial stages of licensing my ERA in which I assembled from kit form. I bought a bare 1987 ford 302 block from a local machine shop and built the engine up myself.
During my initial questioning with the Highway Patrol inspector, he said I need the VIN number off the block since it originally came from an actual vehicle. Of course, I have found no evidence of a VIN number on the block and the machine shop has no record of a VIN.
What are my options?, what do you guys do when using seasoned blocks in regards to registering?

[FWB]

there are no vin numbers on blocks from ford....there is a casting number and casting date, but that is all....the info will tell you what type of block and the day month and year of manufacture.

[winnipaw]

You will find the engine casting numbers behind the starter. It will reveal the date of build and if it is a passenger/truck engine. Starter must be removed. Many sites will tell you how to decode Ford engines.

[Zoom This]

The number you find on the block will be something like....E3A3-6015-BA. This is the number off my 351W block casting that as winnipaw said, is behind the starter.

[wolf k]

I have the casting number, it is E7TE. Is this what you give the inspector? If he is wise, then he will know it is an 87 block, therefore requiring emissions.

[FWB]

yep..."E" is the decade..80's , 7 is the year,...1987...the TE tells me its from a truck. but that is the casting info not gospel on the manufacture date.
as this E7TE casting could have been used on multiple years. there will be other markings signifying the actual date it was cast. i would think the E7TE would be what they will go by...

[BJ's Snake]

Out of interest. is that a roller block.

Cheers

[DAVID GAGNARD]

Originally Posted by BJ's Snake

Out of interest. is that a roller block.

Cheers

No, roller blocks didn't come out till the early 90's.......

David

[Mike Huddart]

Roller blocks ran from '85 up.
E7TE ran from '87 to '91 in light trucks and full size cars, came in roller and non roller cam but block would take either
Mike

[Dwight]

I have an '89 from a Mustang that is a roller block with the number stamped behind the intake on top of the block. Hard to read when you paint the block.

Dwight

[DAVID GAGNARD]

Originally Posted by Mike Huddart

Roller blocks ran from '85 up.
E7TE ran from '87 to '91 in light trucks and full size cars, came in roller and non roller cam but block would take either
Mike

I stand corrected......from 90 on up, they should all be roller blocks, as stated above, in the late 80's they were made in both forms......early 90's on up, Mustang GT engines had forged pistons.......
but, any block can be made to use a roller camshaft with little to no modifications, depending on the lifters used....
both my race engines had/have roller camshafts, one block is a 69 model, the other was a 71 model.......

David

[PDUB]

The E7TE is part of the engineering number, which has the first two numbers, the E7, as the decade and year within the decade. The C is 1960's, D is 1970's, E is 1980's, and so on. The last two characters indicate the manufacturing line and the part type, which would be T for truck and E for engine.

This is not the date code for casting. The 3 or 4-digit alpha-numeric date code is on a small panel, typically just above the engineering number. The date code starts with the year of casting followed by a letter representing the month, and then one or two more numerals for the day it was cast.

You will see C5AE-6015E 6-bolt 1965 blocks with something like a 4G24 date code (April 24, 1964), because Ford began casting the '65 blocks in mid 1964. Likewise, you'll see C4OE-6015E 5-bolt blocks with something like a 5B3 (February 3, 1965), because service blocks were cast in '65.

The OP will need to find and read the date code, not the engineering number to determine the date the block was cast. Find and post the date code and we'll tell you when it was cast. Hope that helps...



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[Tom Cimino]

Believe it or not, my 1974 302 has a number stamped on the block right behind the intake manifold and a deputy sheriff friend was able to trace the engine back to the original vin number of the car, which was a '74 Mercury Comet from Maryland.

[wolf k]

Thanks for the replies, I am more interested in how you guys deal with the authorities when using used blocks when they ask for the VIN number of the car it came out of. I have just begun my licensing process and this was question the HP asked. So some have said they have a stamped number on the pad after the intake, my pad is blank.
After doing some more research, it sounds like if I provide a notarized receipt from shop I bought the block from, that will suffice.
Again, I just wanted to know what hoops you guys had to go through to license and register your used blocks.

[289FIA]

Originally Posted by wolf k

Thanks for the replies, I am more interested in how you guys deal with the authorities when using used blocks when they ask for the VIN number of the car it came out of. I have just begun my licensing process and this was question the HP asked. So some have said they have a stamped number on the pad after the intake, my pad is blank.
After doing some more research, it sounds like if I provide a notarized receipt from shop I bought the block from, that will suffice.
Again, I just wanted to know what hoops you guys had to go through to license and register your used blocks.

Hey Wolf,

My car is nowhere near being ready for tag or title but I did check with the county Sherriff and the tag office before buying a motor. Both offices insisted on a VIN to complete paper work. Sherriff’s office claim there’s a VIN stamped on every block (85-up hyd roller). Found the date code but no luck with a VIN.

I drafted a bill of sale (attached). Had it looked over by the tag office and it was deemed acceptable. Found my engine and transmission on Craigslist and asked the seller if they would agree to sign a B of S. I should be good to go when the time comes later this year.

Good Luck.

[PDUB]

It's not required in all states. The MSO is all I needed...



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