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

[Stew Robertson]

my memory is not good but is this not like the lynx set up
guess I will have to pull some pictures
a lot of the Canadian engines had the forward filler caped as in the pics.

[Lynn Eades]

Tony, can you expand? Do you mean C81T heads? (C81A v C81T)
Firstly we need to differentiate between Canadian and U.S. production. Is this U.S. with Canadian heads?
The "Hydrovac" is a vacuum brake booster. The "Hydrovent" is Ford's early P.C.V. system. I am surprised to see the PCV valve fitted horizontally as they have no spring and rely on gravity (or am I learning something?) The Hydrovent makes this a 42 engine? with positive rear main seal, oil bath breather, etc.
What era does the 81A head stem from? This should dictate what block it is as the valve center line shifted. (not done in U.S. engines)
I am gaining some familiarity with Canadian engines, but these are U.S production and the few details I know become of no consequence when dealing with U.S. engines
I thought the extra oil port was std production in Canadian wartime truck engines?

[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)