Topic: Date Codes on 1967 - 1970 Power Steering Brackets

[RoyceP]

In my never ending quest to make sure my car has all its correctly dated parts I started looking at Power Steering brackets, the cast aluminum part that bolts to the pump. Ford used two power steering pump suppliers in 1967 - 70. One supply was built in house by Ford. The other supplier was TRW Wooldridge division.

Pumps came with the aluminum bracket and reservoir installed. Ford reservoirs have a small Ford oval script embossed on the back side. TRW reservoirs seem to have no markings.

Here is the Ford aluminum bracket. In this case the date is January 1969. It has the Ford oval cartouche and a C7AA -B part number identification
Notice there is a 1967 clock with all 12 months ticked. A 1968 clock also has all 12 months ticked. The 1969 clock has a single tick.

[RoyceP]

Here's the one I am not sure about how to decode the date. This is (I think) a TRW bracket.

It's got an oval cartouche that doesn't quite seem to be Ford. There is the same C7AA - B part number in a totally different font and location.

The date code is odd, it seems to be 66 then two dots and 67. Any ideas?

Edit: On a closer look there are seven dots after 66 then nothing after 67.

[Bob Gaines]

Here's the one I am not sure about how to decode the date. This is (I think) a TRW bracket.

It's got an oval cartouche that doesn't quite seem to be Ford. There is the same C7AA - B part number in a totally different font and location.

The date code is odd, it seems to be 66 then two dots and 67. Any ideas?

Yes TRW.

[Bob Gaines]

Here's the one I am not sure about how to decode the date. This is (I think) a TRW bracket.

It's got an oval cartouche that doesn't quite seem to be Ford. There is the same C7AA - B part number in a totally different font and location.

The date code is odd, it seems to be 66 then two dots and 67. Any ideas?

I see three dots?

[RoyceP]

Bob I just looked at it with a bright light and it actually has seven dots so maybe July 1966?

[Bob Gaines]

Bob I just looked at it with a bright light and it actually has seven dots so maybe July 1966?

Wow .Odd casting . If seven after the 66 then yes maybe July 1966.

[RoyceP]

It gets even weirder. This morning I have spent over an hour looking at these brackets on eBay. What I have discovered is that as far as I can tell all of the TRW castings are identical with what appears to be a July 1966 date. Or more likely no one ever bothered to adjust the date. Here are some examples:

[specialed]

The unique b9 c7aa small lettered alum bracket had 3 changes done to it and was mounted on a unique teal pump that had a dipstick tube angle change. Has it been documented yet on which p/s  vendor was used on which plant or does it depend on the pulley setup as I have seen both types used on Dearborn 69 428 cj but all 69-70 b9 p/s setups are the same.