I need help locating the engine numbers on my engine to determine if my truck still has the original 352 in it. Where can I find the numbers and can someone decode the numbers once I find them?
Thanks


Ricky

 

Ricky: What you seek is probably impossible to prove or confirm, but is IS possible to come up with several things which, together, may show "a preponderance of evidence" to come almost as close.
1. First, ID it correctly internally by checking the stroke. Here's the easy way to check the stroke without removing the head. Get a straight 12 inch piece of coat hanger wire. Get a magic marker. Remove the number 1 and number 8 spark plugs. Turn the engine over until the timing mark is at TDC. Put the wire in the number 1 spark plug hole with wire resting on the top of the piston. Make a mark on the wire even with the lip on the valve cover. Now move the wire over to the number 8 cylinder and mark the wire again. Measure the distance between the two marks. 3.98 is the stroke for the 410 and 428 engines; 3.78 is the stroke for the 390, 406 and 427 engines and 3.5 is the stroke for the 352 and 360 engines. Note that the 360 has the 352 stroke, but has the 390 bore, so the stroke will tell you the probable engine size. You won't know if it is a 360 or a 352 by this alone, of course.
2. Check casting and tag numbers. Casting numbers will appear generally as C6TE xxxxxxx or the like. "C" is the '60s decade, "6" is the design year, "T" is for truck and E is for engine group. (C6AE is a 66 car engine part.) Numbers will give more specific information. Don't let a C3 on a 66 engine fool you; it just means the design was from 63. For example, the bushings for the I-beams are identical up to '78 or later, but the number on them is still C-5 for the design year. However, if you have a C-8TE intake manifold, you HAVE a 68 manifold, which means you MAY not have a 66 engine! That is, if someone changed it our for a later one.
If you can post the casting numbers here, we can get you close enough to the dates to confirm the correctness of your parts. Be sure to tell us where it came from! Get casting/tag numbers from these parts:
a. Carb - on a tag
b. Engine tag - under or near the coil
c. Engine block: You will need to remove the starter to look for these. Look for a set also behind or slightly to the right of the water pump, just below the heads.
d. Heads - get both, or confirm they are the same. They will be between the spark plugs outside the valve covers.
e. Intake - it is easy to find.

If all the casting numbers are correct for a '66 engine, then we can say almost with certainty is is original.
One final note: ALL FE engines, with very very feww exceptions for the 427, have 352 cast and/or stamped into them, so it is NOT reliable evidence!
Good luck!

 

While we are on this one. I have a 352 or 360? or is it. the pistons are C8AE 390 +.030 the crank is stamped 2T but the rods are C5TE the book I have says they are from 330MD engine. The block was painted an off green color like the old 292 and 312 engines. what could it be? My thought is some one changed the intake on it as well C8AE. What do ya think?

 

Ricky, There is no way to tell for sure that you have the original factory enstalled engine. You could very well have a 352 in it, or a 360 or 390. The 352 was the only factory installed V8 for that year.

Cory, your piston says it's a .30 over 390. The C8# say 1968.
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Cory: You can confirm your engine by checking the stroke and bore. Since you have 390 pistons, a stroke of 3.5 would make it a 360 (plus, of course, the extra .030 bore), and a stroke of 3.7x will make it a 390.
I'm on travel right now, so I don't have the info at my fingertips, but if I recall correctly, the C5TE are 352/360 truck motor rods.
So, check your stroke and you'll know for sure.
It looks like you have a rebuilt motor, probably by a local or chain shop.
What are the block casting numbers? That will tell you more info. If it is a C8xx number, you'll know it is a 68 block.
I have a spare junkyard motor from a 65 T-bird I bought 20 years ago. The block is C1, the head is C-8, and the rods are C5. Definitely rebuilt. It was sold to me as a 390, but it is actually a 352. Like Jowilker says, all FEs are 390s on sale day.
I didn't learn how to distinuish the differences until much later. I also recently made a local boneyard dealer mad at me. He was selling a 390, but the customer wasn't sure. I offered to check it on the spot, and it was a 3.5 stroke motor, which made it a 352 or 360, but not a 390. It was my last trip to his junkyard, because this wasn't the first time he had been dishonest.
It's one thing, of course, to make an honest mistake, but yet another to get angry when the truth about it comes out.

 

 

I'm confused with the motor I have?????? I have checked the block every inch and the only numbers on it are: on the front 63 over 352 on the oil filter side it vhas wi over re23. and that is all. The heads have nothing around the spark plugs one has a number inside the rocker area that says 7a17 the other has a number in the rocker area that says oaic so I'm really confused. Then on the intake it has a couple x's casted on a couple areas. Can somebody help me before I lose all my hair!?!?!? Thanks to anyone that can help

 

Details on the vehicle it is in may assist us. Also, do you believe the engine to be original to the truck? What have you been told it is? More info and we'll help.

Welcome aboard! --Mike G

 

I'm sorry I'm new at this,It was in a 64 F100 truck that was given to me. It had set in a shed for about 20 years. I know it can't be the original because someone made their own frame mounts, and the valve covers are not right for the year. Maybe this might help also. The intake (2 barrel) is also part of the heads. The guy I got it from said it was that way when he got it. He just used it around the farm. But it has sat for 20 years. body was shot and it was a short bed step side. Thank you for your reply if you need more info just ask and the spark plugs front ones threade in towards the front and the back 2 thread in towards the back in each head thanks again and I'm glaD FOR THE WELCOME

 

All FE engines have the split head or intake part of the head design, from the 332 on up thru the 428's. It's a tough thing to prove what it is by looking at it. Time has had a head start on what has happened to it and foggy memories as who did what to it over the years doesn't help.

Barry

 

Thank you Barry for your reply. I'm kind of new to nthe Ford family of engines.Ask me anything almost about GM and I usually can answer or know where to get info. This engine has my curiosity up because I've never seen this type of engine before and if it is something worth rebuilding I don't want to toss it. The way the plugs are angled and the split head is interesting to me. Thanks again

 

As a GM kinda guy, you should reconize the the design. Does a 2.8/3.1 V6 ring a bell? They also use a similiar intake/head set-up where the valve covers bolt to the head and intake.
Jimmy

 

I'm not much into the v6 engines. But I just haven't seen it in older engines and especialy v-8's. Like I said I haven't had much experience with Ford engines and I'm just wondering if it's worth rebuilding or if it's just a boat anchor LOL

 

Yeah, Ford didn't make it very easy to identify these old FE engines.
I am quite sure that you can rule out the 427 SOHC though.
Jimmy

 

yeah, I know 'm not that lucky LOL It's probably a 360,352 I know with my luck too it isn,t a 390 either. just a boat anchor LOL