409 block code

[standpat44]

A friend aquired a 409 block with the following on the rear where it is covered by the bell housing
814
W01
962
Z H3

Enclosed is a picture

Any idea what it means?

Steve

[oldskydog]

814, 962, and W01 (should be W011) are the last 3 digits of the other W blocks which were cast with the same outer mold. Obviously the core was different for 348 and 409. That's the reason for the casting number on the back of the block. It tells you which version of the block it is.
The Z and H3 characters are not clearly understood yet but I believe they refer to the actual mold used on a particular block casting since they had several molds in use to meet production numbers and they would need a way to identify which mold was used in case of defects or warranty issues that might arise later.