Topic: Engine "OK" Stamp ? May 68 FE

[warwick]

Attached is picture of the front drivers side head of a Dearborn 5/3/68 build FE. You can make out what looks to be the "O" from the "OK" or O-K" stamp and right above it you see what seems to be part of the "K". It doesn't appear that the characters are located so that they are actually oriented to be part of the "OK" or "O-K" stamp. If they are not -  what are the two stampings?

As I recall I have seen the use of both "OK" and "O-K" stampings, what would be correct?
I always see yellow stampings. These appear to be white. I took this pic a long time ago-I will check the color again.

I appreciate any input.

[rockhouse66]

I think it is just a scribble, a number or something, like this one;

[warwick]

I took a really good look at marks. I am sure they are white and stampings. Not a Markal paint stick scribble.

[J_Speegle]

Typically for your year and that engine assembly plant that surface is marked with a handwritten crayon application of a single or double digit number. Sometimes (depending on the worker assigned that shift) it would also include a handwritten circle around the number. Have a few dozen or so of these markings. Do find a few different colors used but the majority appear to have been white

The OK stamp (of which there were a number of variations) was typically applied to the valve cover - again that year and engine plant

I agree that your pictures suggest a crayon marking especially since the thickness of what remains is not consistent and uniform. From just the picture you provided yours looks to be the remains of a white "6"

[warwick]

I took a copy of my "O-K" stamp on paper and put it right next to what seems to be the "O" and it is not the O-K stamp, it appears to be a zero. It stills seems like a stamp but I think you may be right on Jeff - I don't know if this means anything but look at this picture.

Thank you

[J_Speegle]

..........- I don't know if this means anything but look at this picture.

Can you provide the context (what plant and car it came from).

Have an idea of what it it is but could also be an incomplete mark - same plant and general time period - just different engine grouping

[warwick]

Jeff you got me on this "6" theme now.

It is a Dearborn GTE(427) build.

The VIN tag scheduled build date is May 6 (ie: 06E) which was a Monday. I found a QC traveler in the car dated 5/3 and other Ford doc stating assembly start date of 5/4 (68 UAW strike production recovery).

I have no evidence an O-K stamp was on valve covers-were they utilized always or the majority of time?

[J_Speegle]

Jeff you got me on this "6" theme now.

Not me its the car

It is a Dearborn GTE(427) build.

The VIN tag scheduled build date is May 6 (ie: 06E) which was a Monday.

Thanks. This is the easiest I've seen of this specific mark. What I can report is that it has a separate meaning/purpose than the handwritten in crayon marks typically that identified a process and engine group. It appears those are long gone on your example. The spray paint 6 examples I have are mostly in the same color spray as this one though at least two other colors were used but they all appear to be applied by the same worker on possible one shift. So this may not be a mark applied to all cars of a certain type just cars of a specific type on one shift. We've got other examples of this sort of thing over the years and plants. Do have examples of this practice  on a few (not all cars at Dearborn) up into 1970 production including Boss, Shelby and cars such as 302 2V and 351 cars so no pattern there,



 

I found a QC traveler in the car dated 5/3 and other Ford doc stating assembly start date of 5/4 (68 UAW strike production recovery).

Find what the problem with the car was? Would have been indicated on the sheet somewhere. The purpose of filling one out for the car.

I have no evidence an O-K stamp was on valve covers-were they utilized always or the majority of time?

Believe that they all were suppose to receive one of these. It would have documented that an inspection or completion was done. They didn't always last over the years

[Bob Gaines]

Didn't all 390,427 and 428's get built at the Dearborn engine plant? Wasn't the typical OK marking a pre made ink/paint stamp applied to the valve cover and not done in grease pencil or paint stick?

[warwick]

Jeff - when you say process/engine group; have you been able to pin it down a little more then that? Because why that paint is gone there I have a significant amount of other info on car or in doc that I might be able to correlate it to.

When I bring up no sign of O-K stamp it is because I still have the paper engine tag from passenger side of engine and original valve cover emissions tag. Many paint marks are in place.  The bell housing is covered with markings.

The QC Traveler is for vinyl top - no prob id'd, it seems to be a pre-trim check after install. with Inspector stamped.

[J_Speegle]

Jeff - when you say process/engine group; have you been able to pin it down a little more then that? Because why that paint is gone there I have a significant amount of other info on car or in doc that I might be able to correlate it to.

I'm trying to group engines together with others built at the same engine plants assuming that the inspectors (and in turn their specific stamps) would mark all the engines at that plant a similar way with similar or the same stamp.  Of course we have examples of other stamps where a new inspector (or fill in or newly promoted) got a different style of stamp that what some or most of the rest were using. Even have ones where the inspector number is part of the stamp but that is an odd example

When I bring up no sign of O-K stamp it is because I still have the paper engine tag from passenger side of engine and original valve cover emissions tag. Many paint marks are in place.  The bell housing is covered with markings.

Not unusual. Allot can affect what marks or stickers last or don't. The stamp is not one of those things that always made the 50 year marks and many times stickers only are indicated by a patch of adhesive after all these years

The QC Traveler is for vinyl top - no prob id'd, it seems to be a pre-trim check after install. with Inspector stamped.

If a travelers sheet was produced there is often an issue. Sometimes its coded, sometimes it's just the line or section that the inspector stamped. No one was happy when this took place since it meant someone did more work and it was caused by a fellow worker.