Has anyone had any luck getting Ford to confirm the age of their engine in writing?
My engine number is GS18166 so i know that it was made in March '86. However, my local Ford dealership seems unwilling to help and Ford centrally
told me to try a dealership?
Is there an address that people have used?
when i took mine for sva test all i took was a copy of a burton power catalouge, couple of pages in it has a list of all the date stamps ford used and what month/year they match up to, sva inspector wasn't too bothered anyway as he said they knew the engine stopped being produced long before cats became law.
The number you need to tell what age it is is the casting number, not the stamped engine number. Its cast into the block just under where the engine
number is...
It will be something like:
##HM####BB
The HM tells you that the engine is a November 1987. Obviously yours will be different...
My stamped engine number begins with JC, and I know for sure my engine isnt a sept 1969! 
Cheers,
David
[Edited on 18/5/06 by flak monkey]
Ford cycled through the two letter aging system atleast twice. Yes JC does correspond to Sept '69 but it also corresponds to May '88. Does this sound about right for your engine?
as previous post just use burtons catalogue it has been acceptable by sva on 2 occassions for me
quote:
Originally posted by jamesbond007ltk
Ford cycled through the two letter aging system atleast twice. Yes JC does correspond to Sept '69 but it also corresponds to May '88. Does this sound about right for your engine?
All I know is its a 87/88 engine...
Ring the Ford technical helpline No.09065533447
They will give you an address to write to to request engine details. They will reply within 3 days confirming engine age and probable vehicle it was
fitted to.
My SVA man wanted this letter and took a photocopy of it for their records.
If you do a search the address was posted a while back. I wrote to them and got letter approx 3 weeks later.
Not sure if this will be legiable, tried ti insert spreadsheet but would not let me.
I wrote to Ford and they were most helpful giving me age, car it was first put etc etc, and also refered me to this spreadsheet
PINTO Engine codes….. RED Leaded GREEN Pb Free
1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996
January BJ CL DC EB FJ GL HC JB KJ LL MC NB PJ RL SC TB
February BU CY DK ER FU GY HK JR KU LY MK NR PU RY SK TR
March BM CS DD EA FM GS HD JA KM LS MD NA PM RS SD TA
April BP CT DE EG FP GT HE JG KP LT ME NG PP RT SE TG
May BB CJ DL EC FB GJ HL JC KB LJ ML NC PB RJ SL TC
June BR CU DY EK FR GU HY JK KR LU MY NK PR RU SY TK
July BA CM DS ED FA GM HS JD KA LM MS ND PA RM SS TD
August BG CP DT EE FG GP HT JE KG LP MT NE PG RP ST TE
September BC CB DJ EL FC GB HJ JL KC LB MJ NL PC RB SJ TL
October BK CR DU EY FK GR HU JY KK LR MU NY PK RR SU TY
November BD CA DM ES FD GA HM JS KD LA MM NS PD RA SM TS
December BE CG DP ET FE GG HP JT KE LG MP NT PE RG SP TT
do you have the speadsheet for download?
whats red and whats green?
Yes I have spreadsheet but cannot get it to down load onto here.
Red on spreadsheet shows engines which are Leaded petrol only and the Green show which have hardend valve seats for un-leaded. I will post the link
when I find it.
Try this link
http://www.colinusher.info/Robin%20Hood/enginebuild.html
The Ford letter code is the first two letters of the engine number stamped on the flat machined area under plug #1. I my case (and I guess most) it is
also the last 7 characters of the VIN nr.
Mine is very feint and I had work hard to convince my SVA it was the engine from the donor. I wrote to Fords with every casting mark on the block and
they still said they could not identify the age of the engine without the engine number.
If the engine code is clear a Burton catalog should be enough but a letter from Fords is easy enough if you search for the address.
Technical Help Line: 0906 5533447. This is a premium rate phone line!
Or write to:
Technical Information Centre
Ford Motor Company
PO Box 300
Walsall
WS5 4QH
I faxed ford technical dept at 4pm and got the letter of proof the next morning in the post. Ten on ten. 
I posted my letter 4pm Thursday.
Had reply Saturday morning! 
Very impressed!
Ford keep detailed records of all the vehicles that leave their production lines.
All the build details are recorded along with any testing, rework or repairs.
Employees on the Privilage scheme can check what work has been carried out the vehicle offered and reject it if, say, the chassis been welded! or the
seatbelt mount captive nuts are stripped..... 
I could go on with the horror stories but theres not enough space.
Did you know? press the trip reset on the clocks when less than 50 miles are showing and it also resets the odo!
Whenever I go to Ford Genk and test drive a vehicle the first action is to zero the clocks!!!
[Edited on 19/5/06 by coozer]
quote:
Originally posted by Tinks
Yes I have spreadsheet but cannot get it to down load onto here.
Red on spreadsheet shows engines which are Leaded petrol only and the Green show which have hardend valve seats for un-leaded. I will post the link when I find it.
quote:
Originally posted by robertst
quote:
Originally posted by Tinks
Yes I have spreadsheet but cannot get it to down load onto here.
Red on spreadsheet shows engines which are Leaded petrol only and the Green show which have hardend valve seats for un-leaded. I will post the link when I find it.
hmm. so my April 1987 pinto is not suitable for unleaded. i'll have to use that lead additive then... crap