2 bolts: 239/256/272/292/312 5 bolts: 332/352/360/361/390/391/406/410/427/428 6 bolts: 221/260/289/302/351W 7 bolts: 429/460 8 bolts: 351C/351M/400
The tag is roughly three inches long, half an inch wide, and made of aluminum. If you are unsure what kind of engine you have, think back to the valve cover bolts as you work through the following steps. This will help you narrow down your options.
Indicator Bulb: 360, 330, 391 engines. Dipstick Tube: 352 engines. Carburetor Stud: 401, 477 534 engines. [3] X Research source
Cubic Inch Displacement (CID): The first three numbers, found in the upper left corner, tell you the size of the engine. Manufacturing Plant: The single letter to the right of the CID is where the engine was built. “C” is for Cleveland, “E” is for Ensite, Canada, and “W” is for Windsor, Canada. Year: The next two numbers are for the year the engine was built. 70, for example, would mean it was made in 1970. Month Built: This hyphenated number and letter correspond to the month. The months are in alphabetical order, so A = January and M = December. There is no “i” so people don’t confuse it the number 1. 0-A would mean January 1970, 5-C March 1975, etc. (assuming the year code is for the 70’s). Engine Code Number: This final 3-digit number is the ID of your particular engine. You can look up this code online to see the specs of your current engine. [5] X Research source
You may need to clean the engine with a rag and some degreaser if it is too dirty to see the letters. This code is usually on the side of the engine, but you might not be able to see it when the engine is in a car with older models. Use a light to scan both sides of the engine to find it. [6] X Research source Ex. C5AE-9425-B[7] X Research source
“A” - Generic and full-size engine “D” - Falcon “E” - Truck “F” - Foreign Trans-Am racing “G” - 1961 to 1967 Comet/1968 to 1976 Montenegro “H” - 1966 to 1982 Heavy truck “J” - Industrial Ford “L” - Lincoln “M” - Mercury “O” - 1967 to 1976 Ford Torino/all Ford Fairlane “S” - Thunderbird “T” - Truck “W” - Cougar “Y” - Meteor “Z” - Mustang “6” - Pantera
