Found/for sale 2 WW2 Ford V8's in crate

[Tony Smith]

I don't think these ARE US production. The "Original Ford Shipping crates" don't say Ford or a part number, but do give a Sth Carolina delivery address and say they weigh 225Kg. Hardly the original wartime box.

The engine in the crate has the hydrovent vertical, the other engine has it horizontal. 81A/81T is the 1938 model year, but these heads continued to be used long after that. I have never seen a forward fill oil point on a US manifold, only Canadian. Timing gear cover is for a 2-bolt distributor, suggesting a post '41 date. The stamped engine number follows no convention I know of, so this engine could be for an industrial application, so things like distributor, Hydrovent, Dual temp senders,etc might not follow the usual ID rules.

For all I know, the engine number might even mean it was reco'd in North Carolina in Dec 1991. Any clues ID'ing the stencilling? 505 W/S something?

[Lynn Eades]

Tony, have a look at the first photo of Jordan's post #5. The block number appears to end in a 7, without a suffix. That possibly limit the block to a 67 or 77 making it 1936 or 1937 production? When did the 3rd oil port start? There is no casting rise there, so it may have been drilled at a rebuild.
There are no "7s" used in 1941 to 1945 model numbers. (not Canadian anyhow)