Go Back   The Ford Barn > General Discussion > Model A (1928-31)

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 12-19-2010, 05:20 PM   #1
Preacher
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 198
Default Production Codes

Did Ford continue the use of production codes found on some items on the 29, 30, 31 Fords in the following years for replacement stock? Model A production codes were J, K, and L. I have some parts with different month codes but with an 'O'. Would this picture then indicate August 1934?
Attached Images
File Type: jpg DSC01612.jpg (26.7 KB, 85 views)
__________________
If it ain't broke, fix it 'til it is ...

http://tcmafc.org/
Preacher is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-19-2010, 05:46 PM   #2
Mike V. Florida
Senior Member
 
Mike V. Florida's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: South Florida
Posts: 14,054
Send a message via AIM to Mike V. Florida
Default Re: Production Codes

Funny you should post this. I was about to post a question about numbers on a starter band. Thanks for the answer!
__________________
What's right about America is that although we have a mess of problems, we have great capacity - intellect and resources - to do some thing about them. - Henry Ford II
Mike V. Florida is offline   Reply With Quote
Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)
Old 12-21-2010, 09:56 PM   #3
Preacher
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 198
Default Re: Production Codes

Pluck? ... Anyone?
__________________
If it ain't broke, fix it 'til it is ...

http://tcmafc.org/
Preacher is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-22-2010, 09:22 AM   #4
RonC
Senior Member
 
RonC's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Rhode Island
Posts: 1,868
Default Re: Production Codes

I would think the codes would be manufacturer specific not Ford unless it was a Ford part. The "O 8" is on an Auto-Lite manufactured part. Sometimes the "O" and "I" is omitted in the coding to avoid confusion with "0" and "1". Sometimes the coding is repeated after the year "z". ie A=1946.

By the way Auto-Lite date codes for Model A production are E - 1928; F - 1929;
G - 1930 and H - 1931. For months they used Jan - 1; Feb -2 etc. They did not use O, I, Q or V in any of their date codes. The "O 8" is not a date code on the breaker plate since "O" is not used. In addition they use "number" first then "letter".

Last edited by RonC; 12-22-2010 at 09:47 AM.
RonC is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-22-2010, 09:49 AM   #5
RonC
Senior Member
 
RonC's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Rhode Island
Posts: 1,868
Default Re: Production Codes

stewart warner speedometers date codes (month/year)
1 - January
2 - February
3 - March
4 - April
5 - May
6 - June
7 - July
8 - August
9 - September
10 - October
11 - November
12 - December

A - 1909
B - 1910
C - 1911
D - 1912
E - 1913
F - 1914
G - 1915
H - 1916
J - 1917
K - 1918
L - 1919
M - 1920
N - 1921
P - 1922
Q - 1923
R - 1924
S - 1925
T - 1926
U - 1927
V - 1928
W - 1929
X - 1930
Y - 1931
Z - 1932
RonC is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-22-2010, 10:06 AM   #6
Steve Plucker
BANNED
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Walla Walla, Washington USA
Posts: 6,066
Default Re: Production Codes

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)
Quote:
Originally Posted by RonC View Post
I would think the codes would be manufacturer specific not Ford unless it was a Ford part. The "O 8" is on an Auto-Lite manufactured part. Sometimes the "O" and "I" is omitted in the coding to avoid confusion with "0" and "1". Sometimes the coding is repeated after the year "z". ie A=1946.

By the way Auto-Lite date codes for Model A production are E - 1928; F - 1929;
G - 1930 and H - 1931. For months they used Jan - 1; Feb -2 etc. They did not use O, I, Q or V in any of their date codes. The "O 8" is not a date code on the breaker plate since "O" is not used. In addition they use "number" first then "letter".
Ron,

Does the above refer to the coil also?

How about the starter and generator bands...I know they were date coded...can you please expand if you know?

Thanks.

Pluck
Steve Plucker is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-22-2010, 10:45 AM   #7
RonC
Senior Member
 
RonC's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Rhode Island
Posts: 1,868
Default Re: Production Codes

It applies to all Auto-Lite parts. In 1962 they changed to Prestolite with the same date codes. They also used a "week" "year" coding for some customers ie 25-3; week 25 of 1963.

Last edited by RonC; 12-22-2010 at 10:50 AM.
RonC is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-22-2010, 09:15 PM   #8
Preacher
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 198
Default Re: Production Codes

Thank you Ron for the good info and shedding a little light on it.
__________________
If it ain't broke, fix it 'til it is ...

http://tcmafc.org/
Preacher is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-23-2010, 07:12 AM   #9
RockHillWill
Senior Member
 
RockHillWill's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Rock Hill, S.C.
Posts: 985
Default Re: Production Codes

This has been a much discussed issue for years. I have looked at and or handled over 240 starter and generator band in the the last 4 years. Not all the bands that I have looked at have had the numbers on them, but those that did were marked in the same size and the same 'font' and usually quite pronounced.

It seems to be common knowledge that J='29, K='30 and that L= '31. I have seen at least (2) 'M's.

The numbers and the letters were stamped in a position that is across the band width as opposed to the long way, but It interesting to me that the letter did not always precede the number, or vice versa. While they all seem to appear across the band 'width', they do not always read the same. Some are up side down.

The real issue seems to be weather this was actually a 'Ford' issue / requirement or a supplier issue. Last month I was at a table next to a gentleman at the Benson research center when he excitedly leaned over to me and showed me a Ford drawing that had a note on it instructing the suppliers to date these bands in this manner.

Just a thought!
__________________
Uncle Bud says "too soon old, too late smart!"
RockHillWill is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-23-2010, 07:26 AM   #10
RonC
Senior Member
 
RonC's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Rhode Island
Posts: 1,868
Default Re: Production Codes

Ford would certainly have the ability to mandate suppliers to use a Ford dating system instead of their own. You could end up with Ford dating on some parts and manufacturer dating on other parts Ford didn't care to date. I guess what's needed is what parts did Ford specify date and or manufacturer identifications on?
RonC is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-23-2010, 09:09 AM   #11
Steve Ciccalone
Senior Member
 
Steve Ciccalone's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: "Live Free or Die!"
Posts: 510
Default Re: Production Codes

I looked at two Ford Script SP straight pole coils yesterday. One was stamped "3 Y" in the usual font as Will mentioned. Counting from "L" in 1931 this would make it a March 1941 coil, assuming the "O, Q and V" were not used. The second was "B 7". The "B" was a significantly larger font size than the "Y" and was a much shallower stamping. Perhaps after reaching Z, the code simply reverted to "A", but in a different font.

I assume there was a manufacturers' association for makers of automotive electrical equipment that established standards like SAE and created the date codes as it seems the same on all the different brands of A coils I've seen.
__________________
"A wet bird doesn't fly at night."
Steve Ciccalone is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 06:45 PM.