Topic: FE Engine Build Tag - Dearborn Engine plant or Assembly

[ShakenFE]

Assembly tag info seems to contain required build info for both the engine plant (CJ) and assembly plant (San Jose).  It appears that 4 of the 5 fields of info would be required build sheet info for engine build and the Engine Code and Suffix match the assembly build sheet.  If that reasoning is true, then it would appear the assembly plant must have stamped the tag?  I am assuming the engine plant build included carburetor.

[J_Speegle]

First welcome to the site - hope you find it useful in your concours related endeavors


The engine tag and engine ID label were both stamped and installed/applied at the engine assembly plant.  The buildsheet simply reflected these codes so that workers could use the info (engine ID label/sticker) to confirm what engine would be installed in what car and what transmission and accessories to installed. Since your car was assembled at San Jose they made the process even easier, later in the build process, by applying the cars second rotation number to the completed engine and transmission assembly so that the worker only had to match the number written on the car and the one on the engine assembly

And yes the engines were shipped with the carb (distributor but without fuel pump)  installed covered by a plastic bag sort of cover. Though they are small blocks you should be able to find a number of factory shots of a typical engine assembly as crated and shipped in the Library and a few threads.

[ShakenFE]

Thanks for your insight.  I suppose the complexity of CJ/SCJ engines required from Engine plant would have a manageable number of 2/2 (auto and manual for each of CJ/SCJ).  If the engine plant did a hot or cold start run test then the distributor and carb would be necessary.  Thanks 

[J_Speegle]

Thanks for your insight.  I suppose the complexity of CJ/SCJ engines required from Engine plant would have a manageable number of 2/2 (auto and manual for each of CJ/SCJ).  If the engine plant did a hot or cold start run test then the distributor and carb would be necessary.  Thanks 

The plant was likely building at least a few dozen of different applications/types of FE's each year. Same plant would have turned out all the 390's (2V and 4V)  as well as all the truck engine sizes using that base block configuration.

Not sure but IMHO its possible different lines would focus on specific engines for periods of time while others (higher demand) would have constantly a few that were always in demand.  Kind of like how the car assembly plants had different lines for different cars - trucks, mustang & cougar, mid size .......

[WT8095]

Thanks for your insight.  I suppose the complexity of CJ/SCJ engines required from Engine plant would have a manageable number of 2/2 (auto and manual for each of CJ/SCJ).  If the engine plant did a hot or cold start run test then the distributor and carb would be necessary.  Thanks 

From 1968. Engine build starts at 12:16. Small blocks, so probably Cleveland plant:



"Hot line" is at 19:00, showing engine break-in.



This one is early 60's, but shows big blocks at DEP. Hot line starts about 17:30.

[67gta289]

My friend Len was the 390 engineer in 1968.  All FE series engines (352, 390, 406, 427, 428...) were built at the Dearborn Engine Plant (DEP).

All engines were indeed hot tested.  As Jeff says during any production year there were many variations including truck engines.  Also included though were marine applications.  Len told me it was very interesting when they screwed up the build and installed a marine crank (which spins the opposite direction) and fired it up.

I'll have to ask Len if they were built in batches or not.  He did mention that there were computerized records of the engine as it went through the assembly and testing process.