Ok i just bought a 73 f100 and was told it has a 360ci is there anyway i can check what size engine i have without the VIN?

 

Easy enough to identify the engine as in the FE family. If a fib were told its more likely somebody is telling you a 360 is a 390 since they are identical blocks.
FE identifiers
-5 valve cover bolts
-front spark plugs angling back, rear spark plugs angling forward (not all plugs at same angle)
-valve covers overlap the edges of the intake manifold.

The FE family includes alot of sizes beginning in the later 50s with 332 and 352 growing into engines as big as 427 (very rare and expensive now) and 428.

A 360 came about by taking a 390 block and putting a 352 crank into it. Verifying the stroke by using a dowel to measure through a spark plug hole is the quick and dirty way to differentiate between 360 and 390. A 352/360 crank has a 3.50" stroke where a 390 has a 3.78" stroke. A 352 has a stock 4" bore where a 360/390 block have a 4.05"" bore. Don't be fooled by seeing a 352 cast into the block. Virtually all FE engines have this casting in them. I'd believe you have a 360. If you are bored, drop a dowel into a spark plug hole and measure how much it travels up and down as you rotate the engine (by hand). If you have the transmission off, you can also verify by looking at the rear crankshaft flange. The 390 crank has a square notch in it where the 352/360 crank has a larger half circle cut out. I don't think that 352's were still available by 73, I'd put my money on 360. Usually the problem is you are told you have a 390 and find it's a 360. I went through that with a similar 351M/400 similarity. I was told by seller I had a 400 but after scraping guck off the valve cover and checking the VIN, found I have a 351M.

VIN decoders can tell you what engine you truck was born with (as if anybody swaps anything)

 

Thanks for the input. i actually jsut had a buddy come over who owns multiple classic fords him and his dad rebuild them. jsut found out some one dropped a 390 ribbed block in it. also some one put a different door on it so the VIN doesnt match the actuall truck.

 

Actually the plate on the door is a trim plate. The VIN is most likely on the frame. The frame should match your title. Decode the VIN on the frame or title.

 

Where is the VIN on the frame?

 

The "plate" on the door is the Warranty Plate and (1973/80) has the:

VIN / W.B. / COLOR / MODEL / BODY / TRANS / AXLE / GVW(R) / DSO.

1976/80 has the actual year stamped on the plate.

By law, all vehicles (1948 and later trucks/1949 and later cars) have to have a hidden VIN stamped somewhere on the frame (or body if a unit-body) so law enforcement can verify ownership.

The location of these hidden VIN's were not known to the general public for an obvious reason. There's no mention of where they are in parts catalogs.

At one time the Kelley Blue Books had the locations, but not today.

Beginning in the late 1980's, each vehicle has dozens of their specific VIN stamped and on plastic labels all over the vehicle.

Prior to 1948/49, vehicles didn't have VIN's as they were registered by the engine number.

btw: While not common, it isn't uncommon either: People swapped damaged left doors with used doors, and did not install the original Warranty Plate on the replaced door.

So...it's a good idea to verify the VIN on the Warranty Plate by seeing if it matches the VIN on the registration.

 

Passengers side, on top, pretty much right above the front cross member attaching point. you may have to rub some dirt and grime out of the way to find the stamping.

 

I had a conversation with an agent from the National Insurance Bureau (NIB) formerly the national Auto Theft Bureau (NATB) regarding my 76. He told me that the official public VIN is the number stamped on the frame on the passenger side. The warranty plate, trim plate, etc., was not the public VIN. The reason being that the door itself can easily be replaced.

 

Keep in mind, 360s also had ribbed blocks. so unless they actually measured the stroke, you still cant tell a difference. Only the crank, connecting rods, and pistons are different btwn a 360 and 390, so you can't look and be able to tell... no matter how experienced of an engine builder they are (If they build FEs they should know this, so they probably took care of you). You could also pull the oil pan and check the casting on the crank;

2T, or 2TA = 3.5" stroke-360
2U, 3U, or 2UA = 3.78" stroke-390

But this is a little more tedious! The easiest way to check is to rotate the engine so #1 is exactly at TDC, that would put cyl #4 at BDC. So you just need to stick a dowel in 1's plug hole, mark it at the tip of the threads, then stick it in 4's plug hole mark it at the same point in the threads as you did on the first mark, then take it out and measure the distance between the marks. No rotations needed.

Hopefully she really is a 390!!! Good luck!

JT