Replacement block

I bought a 3
cyl block from a guy last weekend. When we were negotiating on it I asked him to measure the bores.
He replied that with a tape measure it looked to be about 4 13/32"
That was close enough to determine that it was a 4.4 and not a 4.2.
Got it home and was doing some more precise measuring on it yesterday.
This block is dusty like it's sat for a long time. Has slight surface rust everywhere including in the bores. Nothing I was concerned about but I took some fine emory cloth and sanded the bores a little.
Then I used a snap gage/mic and measured them.
I am consistantly getting ~ 4.395"
That got me wondering so I wire brushed the deck. It has NOT been sleeved.
Am including a photo of the # that is stamped on the right side pan rail.
I have a set of new gas pistons from a school engine I will use in this.
The skirts will not go into the bores - or maybe could if you forced them in but
not with proper clearance.
Does anyone know what I might have?
Could this have been a replacement block from the past?
I would think the bores on a replacement block would have been 4.4000.
What does the stamped # mean?
Thanks

D496651 is the engine block serial number. The D at the beginning means that it is a "New Model" (4/1/1968 or newer) 4xxx series engine serial number.

D0NN6015 mean the casting was designed in 1970, so it's a 1970 or later 4xxx series block.

496651 is a fairly high number as they started over at D000001 on 4/1/1968.

Is there a date code farther toward the front of that side of the block?

If it was bought new as a bare block, it might need to be honed before it would fit a 4.4" piston properly.

The stamped number is simply the engine serial number.

I have a hard time believing that the bores measure less than 4.400. Ford never produced a "4.4" block that measured less than that. In fact, typically they measure a few thousandths larger than that for piston to bore clearance, while the pistons usually measured a few thousandths less than 4.400".

Are you sure that your micrometer is properly zeroed out? Do you have a 4" checking standard? I don't mean to offend you, but I gotta think that something went wrong here in the measuring process. Either that or someone else is playing a very high-level practical joke here.

What do your pistons measure? Measure them inline with the pin, and at right angles to the pin.

Poor measuring skills and/or inacurate equipment would be my first guess too Bern so no offense taken.
I measured them several times and got about the same #s each time. My first thought was my 4-5 mic hadn't been on a standard for years.
I called a friend and went over and used his.
Against a 4" standard in a 69 degree shop, it was reading 4.0002 He doesn't have a 5" or I would have checked that end also.
He checked it too and got the same thing.
I adjusted it to 0.
Went home and measured again then called my neighbor who is a job shop machinest - does this stuff every day.
He came over and got the same numbers as I was +/- a couple of tenths.
I'm pretty confident in these numbers.
I did measure the skirt on one piston both ways and got about 4.3945
The tails on the skirts are are about a thou over that.
Fyi, my snap gages are Sterrett and Mics are Scherr Tumico. Both low useage tools built in the 70s so not China Maids.

Here is a scan from two different pages of the 10 series repair manual. Hope this helps.

Here's an update.
It might have sleeves after all.
The guy I bought it from suggested it might have a line at the bottom of the bores where you'd expect a sleeve to end.
It does have those.
I feel dumb. Should have noticed them.
My current theory:
Block was bored and unfinished sleeves installed. Then decked. Then for some reason it was never finish bored or honed to size.
I wonder why...
I can NOT see the flange of the sleeve in the deck. Was always able to see them - almost at a glance. Not here.
I talked to the old engine rebuilder we use.
Gonna bring it in later in the week and have him finish the bores to fit my pistons.
Might have him magnaflux or use dye penetrant to detect the sleeves.
I'll post an update.
One good thing about this:
I know I can still measure reasonably well
Sean, interestingly enough your post does not show up in classic.
Here's a photo of the build date.
Looks like Mar 13 73 afternoon shift?
What does the other number indicate?
Thanks to you both.

I would concur on your March 1973 date. I'm not sure what the other number means.

Your explanation makes sense. Seems odd to me that someone would rough bore it and then not hone it to size, but I guess stranger things have happened. As for not being able to see the sleeve from the deck surface....if the deck was surfaced after the sleeves were installed, it is in fact very hard to see the parting line - it kind of blends in.

Sean, I don't see your post in classic view either. I went to modern view and could not reply there, so here goes my reply to your post: I've purchased several new blocks in my years when I worked for the dealer, and not once did I ever have to hone it to finish size.

Interesting thread, resulting in a good thing.

You can now fit the block to your new pistons.

Dean