Hello John. Is yours one of the interim engines with a 2 bearing crankshaft in a 3 bearing crankcase? There might be an undrilled circular boss located just above the fuel pump which later used (from memory) to locate the cam shaft on the 3 bearing engine.
Regards
Stuart

Location: Staffordshire, the creative county

Interesting! Did they carve out the centre main housing, or was it never cast?

Location: Richmond, Texas

Just to clear up any confusion - when I said "the most common place to find the number" referred to the over 230 thousand blocks first produced, sorry I forgot about the 50-plus thousand blocks produced later. Cheers, Bill

Location: Euroa, Australia

We have at least one crankcase with the un drilled cam bolt boss as you describe Stuart - I will try to locate it. I wonder if it also has the external strengthening webs also?

Stuart: there is no trace of an un-drilled circular boss above the fuel pump hole.

Bill: there is no trace of an engine number anywhere else on the block as far as I can see and nothing stamped on the crank or rods.

Thanks for all replies though
John

Location: Norfolk Fens

John - it's good that you found your number, but more important you have the crankcase number. Even having the number stamped on so many other blocks & hidden behind the valve-chest cover isn't much help to anyone, only academic. I've come across a couple of blocks over the years that had no number anywhere, so presumed they were replacements. No matter, as no authority is going to remove the cover to check if there's a number there, they just go by the crankcase number. Good Luck, Cheers, Bill

Location: Euroa, Australia