I have an engine I bought several years ago that is now in my 54 ****** wagon. It was supposed to be a 302 out of a 72 ford truck. The guy who sold it to me even had it blueprinted and balanced so I figured he had to know what he was talking about. But, I replaced head gaskets and intake gasket , intake gasket that I bought for it(fits 302 and 351) would not work, but gasket for 289-255 did fit.
What is the simpliest way to identify this engine size?

 

Get the numbers off the block above the starter and then go here http://home1.gte.net/res03net/faqs/block.htm and it should help.

 

Looked there and several other places but the closest match was a 74 302 with numbers D4DE-AA, mine are D4DE-BA .
And if my engine has a 302 I.D. number, why would the standard 302 intake gasket not fit, its the piece behind the distributor that goes from the corner of one head to the other corner?

 

Is it possible you could have been given the wrong set of gaskets? Personally i don't use those little gaskets i use silicone in its place.

 

Replaced them twice since I owned the engine. Both times I had to use 289 gasket set. Its really no big deal unless I decide to rebuild it someday, but its nice to know for sure what you have.