289 REAR MAIN CAP CASTING NUMBERS

Someone is pulling some's leg. The C3OE-6329-A cap is a HiPo crankshaft front main bearing cap -- but is marked with an arrow and a number 1. The rear cap is marked C3OE-A. The standard 289 rear cap cap is marked C2OE-B.

I've got an early 63 dated Hipo motor with Hipo caps and C2OE-B rear main that I just pulled from an original car?

The C2OE-B is a standard 289 marking. Do you have a picture?

I have a set of hipo caps that has the rear cap marked with a '4' and a stamped 'D'. The regular #4 cap also has a '4' but with an arrow. and the # 2 cap has C3OE, a '2' and an arrow. 1 & 3 are typical with '1' & '3' and arrows.

Here is a set 1-4 main caps listed as 289 Hipo's that sold on eBay recently with the numbers & arrows on the center & sides of the caps.

[Blocked Image: http://i6.ebayimg.com/03/i/000/be/a3/2a2e_1.JPG]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/289…sspagenameZWDVW

Here are pictures of the ones Chuck was referring to:

[Blocked Image: http://www.fordsmallblock.com/Pictures/C3OE-6329-A-1.jpg]

[Blocked Image: http://www.fordsmallblock.com/Pictures/C3OE-6329-A-2.jpg]

I have never seen anything like it.

Here is a picture of a standard 1963 small block (left) and 1963 289 HiPo (right):

[Blocked Image: http://www.fordsmallblock.com/Pictures/HiPo-caps-1.jpg]

Here is a picture of the 1968 Mexican 302 (left) and a later 289 HiPo (right):

[Blocked Image: http://www.fordsmallblock.com/Pictures/HiPo-caps-2.jpg]

This is very interesting. Chuck's rear cap and the Mexican cap have the same 6329 casting number. I have a set of Mexican caps but they only have the date code on the rear cap.

Chuck

Since we last talked the other nite I have given it some thought and

here is what I came up with for the debate:

If a person ruined a HiPo maincap in the late 60's is it possible that Ford would only sell a full set of caps and marked the rear main with the full PN rather than a partial number as came from the factory. Would make sense that Ford would need a full number for the service part(s). Do you think these are service caps if there was such a thing. Also could have been a very small run of 25-50 sets. I think this is more possible then any Mexican connection. How bout this for a pitch-very rare Dragon Snake caps!! Ray

Lots of variation among foundries. Look at last example pic with stamped 3 rather than cast 3. Ray

TOOLBOX if you can care to post pics of your caps they seem equally interesting. Ray

edit: sorry, I've tried and tried to post a pic, but it always shows up HUGE. I don't know how to make it work.

I stand corrected - the regular #4 cap has the 'c3oe', and #2 has what looks like a date code '17B7'

Edited by - toolbox on 10/30/2007 16:47:36

Edited by - toolbox on 10/30/2007 16:56:08

Edited by - toolbox on 10/30/2007 16:57:18

Edited by - toolbox on 10/30/2007 17:08:14

Here are your caps, Karl:

[Blocked Image: http://www.fordsmallblock.com/Pictures/Karls-HiPo-main-caps.jpg]

Chuck, do you know the origin of your caps? Is it possible the 1-4 caps are Mexican with the dates ground off? I did some image analysis on the pic of your caps Bob posted using software I have available at work and find "possible" evidence of what's left of the date code "pad" usually seen on Mexican caps on cap#2. Also on caps 3 and 4 are possible traces of the cast "screw" seen on the Mexican cap pad. This doesn't explain the rear cap unless it is a very early (transition?) Mexican cap. Dave