Ford Repair: Engine Casting numbers, casting numbers, best guess

Question
Hi, I have 1973 F-100 4x4, and I wanted to know what the engine casting numbers read, they are D4DE-6015-BA. I hope you can help me out, Thanks.

Chris.M

Answer
Chris-

  While casting numbers can be deceiving, I'll do what I can to help you out.  After fumbling through a few books, my best guess is that you've got a 1974 302 block in there.  While I'm not the final word in casting numbers, all of the stuff I'm seeing is pointing at a 302 that was produced in '74.  Now that doesn't mean that the engine is a replacement necessarily since casting numbers don't change like model years do (model years often switching over in the middle of a given year), so if your truck was a later '73 model year run, it's possible the engine was made in '74.  Hope this helps.