Early date codes are quite confusing. The ECK block I have here is 52C.
It sounds like yours probably has a number before the 5 that you can't read. Likely a 6 should be there. Usually the castings for the following model year start in August.
The 2nd number indicating the month is a problem, 10 numbers and 12 months. I'm not certain they even used 0. Ford generally placed numbers and letters upside down when they ran out the sequence.
I think that blocks cast in November and December were upside down A and B
On the head the numbers in a circle are shift numbers ect. I've never spent any time trying to decipher them.
There will be casting numbers somewhere on the head. They can be under the rocker assemblies (54-55) Between the exhaust ports (early 56) and under the water ports (late 56-on)
Dearborn date codes are also different than Cleveland.
The later date codes are much easier to decode.
http://ford-y-block.com 20 miles east of San Diego, 20 miles north of Mexico
