engine date codes help

[Keaton 143]

i found a couple numbers and letters behind the flywheel and I believe it is the engine codes, it looked like there were cracks but I believe it is just a bit of a casting flaw  the code is IAI-0-227 there is also photos of it, it is a tecumpsen HT55 out of a 1962 wheel horse 32r lawn ranger. thanks for the help- Keaton 

Edited April 19 by Keaton

[953 nut 51,897]

Would you mind telling us who manufactured the engine.

[Keaton 143]

oops sorry @953 nut I put it in the main post

Edited April 19 by Keaton

[Handy Don 10,656]

I’ll gladly defer to others with more expertise ( @ri702bill 😁), but that looks to me like a mold number.

 

Since casting molds have a limited life and at any given time many engine block molds could be in use making parts, a factory inspector could connect a part showing defects resulting from mold overuse with the “guilty” mold. That mold would be taken out of service for reconditioning or scrapping. Also, a diligent factory, would probably re-inspect all other recent castings from the same mold before they moved on to more expensive machining.

 

The reason it doesn’t distinctly correlate to a part number or specific engine model is that the differing machining of a basic block (bore diameter, for example) can yield different parts.

Edited April 19 by Handy Don

[ri702bill 7,362]

Don is correct on the mold ID. Date codes are another thing - most, not all, manufacturers use a Julian Date Code to ID year and numerical date, not month & date. ( Jan. 1st is 001, Dec, 31st is 365)

Molds have a projected life span. Molds do "wear" from use - that is why they generally are made "material safe" to allow for normal wear and still produce acceptable parts.