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Ford Numbers

The Ford numbering system is unique within the automotive industry. Basically Ford numbers are designed to encode various information about the part concerned. All numbers from the beginning basically are composed of three parts: Prefix (VEHICLE & DIVISION), BASIC PART NUMBER, and Suffix (specific VARIETY of the part).

VEHICLE and DIVISION: This information was expanded in the 1950's and changed again in 1999. From the fifties through 1998, this info followed the format of YEAR/MODEL/DIVISION.
- YEAR: This has the format of "xy" where "x" is a letter from "B" (1950's) through "F" (1990's) representing the decade, while "y" is a number from "0" through "9" representing the particular year within the decade. Parts built in England, Germany, France, and probably some other overseas countries did NOT use letters to show the decade. Instead they used numbers representing the decade, as "7" for the the seventies, etc.
  
  The major thing to be aware when dealing with this year code is that it represents the year in which the number was ASSIGNED to be used, which is NOT necessarily the same as the year of manufacture and is NOT necessarily the same as the model year!!! (I have found "B9" (1959) numbers used in new cars even in the mid-1990's!)
- MODEL: This is a single code letter or number designating the vehicle that the part was DESIGNED for. Even though designed for one vehicle, the same part is often used in other vehicles without changing the number.
  
  Some of the codes are:
  - A = Full size Ford, Crown Victoria
  - B = Festiva, Aspire
  - D = Falcon, LTD, Taurus
  - G = Montego
  - H = Heavy Truck
  - O = Fairlane
  - R = Contour
  - S = Thunderbird
  - T = Light Truck
  - U = Van
  - Z = Mustang
- DIVISION: This is a single code letter or number designating the Ford division responsible for the part. For transmission purposes only "P", "R", "W", "Y", & "Z" have any significance.
  - P = Found only in casting numbers on parts produced by the automatic transmission division
  - R = Found only in casting numbers on parts produced by the manual transmission division
  - W = Found in part numbers
  - Y = Found in Lincoln/Mercury part numbers
  - Z = Found in Ford part numbers
    
    NOTE: "P" & "R" are CASTING numbers. As such they identify ONLY the RAW casting from which the part is made. The same casting can be used for MANY different parts. As a result you CANNOT rely upon casting numbers for positive matching of parts.
Starting in 1999, Ford changed the prefix to incorporate the year as designated by the VIN year code, i.e. X = 1999, Y = 2000, 1 = 2001, etc, instead of continuing with "F9", "G0", "G1", etc. For all years after 1998, the year code is only ONE digit long and is the FIRST digit of the Ford number.
BASIC PART NUMBER: This follows the format of PART-TYPE/NUMBER.
- PART TYPE: For the transmission industry, only "7" (transmission & clutch parts) and "4" (differential parts) have any significance.
- NUMBER: This is a 3 digit NUMBER arbitrarily assigned to a particular part, like "006" for cases, "061" for mainshafts, "000" for transmission assemblies including torque converters, etc. When Ford ran out of unique numbers they added a LETTER to the front of this number, like "A039" for extension housings, "F343" for differential ring gears, etc.
VARIETY: This is usually a one letter code. Starting in the 1970's I started noticing many two and three letter codes, some even including numbers. I do not know the significance of the the additional letters/numbers. However, it APPEARS to me that the later two letter codes use the the second letter for a design level for the part. If so, we can ASSUME that a part with a "BB" suffix will replace the same number with a "BA" suffix but not necessarily vice versa.

To sum up we have the following example:

D4ZP-7976-AA means 1974 design (D4), Mustang (Z), automatic transmission division (P), transmission part (7), bell housing (976), 1st variety (A), design level #1 (A). This is the CASTING number on a C4 bell housing for 1974 Mustangs with a 171V6 engine. There is also a later D4ZP-7976-AB casting for this same application which lends credence to the assumption that the last letter is for the design level of the part.

Back to Beginning

C4/C5 Nomenclature

When I stumbled into the transmission business in 1979, one of the hottest sellers was the C5 transmission. I could get $25 for every one I could find. Now, I know what you are thinking if you entered the transmission industry in the eighties or nineties, "HOW in the world is that possible, especially since Ford did not start making the C5 until 1982?" Therein lies a story of the REAL C5, the one that became confusing for many in the industry once Ford added a converter clutch to the C4 and then called IT a "C5!" For us old-timers, this has been a source of confusion ever since.

The story starts in 1964 when Ford introduced the C4. Every visible casting number on its parts started with "C4AP." Naturally, it was a logical short step to naming the transmission as a "C4." This transmission had the dipstick in the case behind the bell, making this a case-fill transmission. The bell attached to the case by using the pump bolts. Everything was just hunky-dory. New transmission, new name, no confusion.

Then in 1965 Ford decided to beef up the C4 for use behind bigger motors, like the 351 Windsor. So, they beefed up the bell, case, and some of the internal parts to withstand the extra torque of these bigger engines. This design made the case heavier at the bell. To strengthen the transmission the bell was attached to the case using separate bolts, instead of the pump bolts. They added more bolts around the pump specifically to attach the bell to the case. This redesign also required moving the dipstick to another location. So, the dipstick was moved to the pan, creating a pan-fill transmission. In keeping with ancient Ford policy, this redesigning required new casting numbers on the redesigned parts, especially the bell and the case. The new numbers all started with "C5," which naturally led to this being called a "C5." Again, everything was hunky-dory. We now have a case-fill transmission called a "C4" and a pan-fill one called a "C5." No confusion, no problem.

Fast forward to 1979. This was the final year of manufacture for this C5 transmission, but the C4 continued for another four years until 1983. In 1982, Ford did another redesign by adding a converter clutch to the C4. This again required redesigning many parts and again required a new series of casting numbers. So, now we have casting numbers starting with "E2." No problem there. Then some wise-ass at Ford had to gum up everything by naming this transmission a "C5!" Nothing but confusion ever since!!!! Now WHY in the world wasn't this transmission named an "E2," the MOST logical name available, and the one which would NOT add confusion to the industry???

To sum up we have the following possibilities along with bell casting prefixes:

64-83 (now designated "C4" by Ford)
- Case fill {C4 to C9, D0 to D9, & E1SP)
- Pan fill {C5 to C9, D0 to D9}
82-86 (now designated "C5" by Ford)
- Case fill {E2AP only)
- Pan fill {E2TP only}

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Ford Notes

Ford Numbers

C4/C5 Nomenclature

Ford
Notes