Ford F1AE Block ID: AOD Solid vs AODE Hollow Dowels & Bell Housing Change 1992

This document consists of two black-and-white photographs comparing the rear (bell housing) faces of two Ford engine blocks, with circled areas highlighting the differences. The top photo shows the original F1AE casting, whose deck edge slopes down to the edge of the seal retainer on the right side; this block used solid dowels for mounting the AOD automatic transmission. The bottom photo shows the revised block: Ford changed the shape of the bell housing area on the passenger side and switched to hollow dowel pins when the AODE electronically controlled transmission was introduced in mid 1992. A reader can learn how to visually distinguish an early AOD-compatible block from a later AODE-era block by examining the shape of the passenger-side bell housing/deck transition and the type of transmission alignment dowels (solid vs. hollow). The circled regions on each photo indicate where to look for the shape change. This is useful for anyone swapping engines or transmissions between AOD and AODE applications, or identifying a block by its casting features. The document references the F1AE casting number prefix, which implies a 1991-era design, and states the change occurred in mid 1992.