does anyone know how to check the engine numbers or where? My dads mech, if thats what he calls himself, supposedly put a "low mileage" motor in his 97 F-150 5.4L.... but i found some things i rigged, i mean "modified" that says otherwise... any info would be mucho appreciated. the motor mounts look like they have always been there, it just looks like someone changed the valve cover gaskets is all. plus it had a "misfire" which was still there with the "new motor", he said it needed a cat is why it ran like that! thought you were supposed to fix the problem first, then repair the damage it cased! but whatta i know... I cleaned the dpfe thingy like everyone here says and so far it runs like new... didn't cost me much compared to the couple grand his mechanic charged! hope I'm wrong, but if not pops should get his dough back! plus, this dude is my dads friend! Think the right thing to do here is ta kick his A@#$! after court, of course.... thanks in advance, this site has already helped me soo much!

 

anyone? sorry if i posted in the wrong place... just could use some help on this one... is there numbers on the block that i can trace to the truck? if so, where could i find them.... thanks.. itsa 97 f-150 4x4 w/ a 5.4L in it...

 

I found this information .. others may improve on it.

Behind the starter are the block casting numbers.you will have to remove the starter to see them.

The casting numbers are only going to tell you the family of parts to which that particular component belongs, this in no way tells you anything about the origins of the engine in the vehicle, if it came out of the factory that way or not. You can look at the VIN and find the general engine size & type that it came out of the factory with but nothing more specific than that. There is nothing correlating the two, nothing saying, "This here completed engine
assembly went into this here vehicle."

This may or may not be correct.

Ben, OH

 

that sounds right... guess they'd have to change the numbers for each block... I do remember a few years back we had bought a 84 el camino that after registering it for the third time, the dmv found out the guy we bought it from had changed the vin and sold over 50 stolen cars! they came and spent about two hours searching the car for alternate id numbers. they said they found frame id numbers and engine id numbers that matched the stolen car. Maybe i should give the dmv a call... Thanks for the info!

 

Years ago engines all had serial #'s just like the car does, but I don't honestly know if they still do or not. They were stamped in the block and then later were laser etched or put on with what looked like a pin machine (the # was made up of these small pick marks in the metal) Sounds like your dad's "friend" may not be much of a friend after all. It's actually easy to tell if an engine has been "changed" (out) even without the #.

 

it doesn't look like any bolt have been hit with wrenches plus i ummmm, "modified" some vacuum lines a couple yrs back and u think he woulda replaced my duct tape....it has the alum dpfe which was all gunked up and the throttle body was caked up w/ carbon.... which im gona clean tomorrow morn...since he had a COMPLETE motor which suposedly had round 50 or 60 grand on it he could have cleaned it up sum? And replace some of the broken stuff with parts off the newer motor... doesnt seem right to take old broken stuff and put on the newer motor to me??? DPFE looked orig, and doesnt ford say replace w/ newer updated one? hell think the pvc valve looks like the original to... Also i riged a dodge, i think it was, elbow on the other end of pvc line. the one WAY in back and put black duct tape on it and that was still there. All i can see new is a blue valve cover gasket. Thanks everyone! What else should i check, that might hold up in court, to know if he swapped or not code58? This "MECHANIC" also seems to dislike me for some reason, he tells my pops to take his cars to him and that I,m a carpenter not a mech... I dunno, i've never messed any of there cars up... maybe i'm wrong but we see... thanks again

 

On the valve cover there is a upc barcode that has the build date on it. If the build date matchs the production date of your truck its most likely the stock engine. of course if the guy who swaps engines swaps valve covers it wont tell you anything..

 

That makes sense on why the only think that looks "new" to me is the brand spankin new VALVE COVER GASKET! whata good friend this mechanic is.... Thanks for all the help everyone.. Im gona clean my t/b now 2 see if thats helps the hesitation it has... Oh yeah... I also noticed that the valve covers sticker said something about being made in Canada, would there be any differences since my vin says its made here?

 

Block date should be here or there -



If it's a Ford reman, their tagged front passenger side. A stamped aluminum tag that's fastened to the block.

 

THANKS jbrew! Gona go check it out in a few. that should tell me everything i need to know! you been very helpful... I gotta put my T/B back together this morn. looked BAD never seen that much carbon, not even in a pos dodge i had w/ over 300,000 miles on it! egr port had chunks blocking it! wow

 

No problem, yea they can chunk up lol, - I've seen that before. -Solid chunks blocking most if not all of the port.

 

Brew- I don't think from anything he's said that either the original engine or the supposed low miles used engine were "Reman's". Think he was looking for a serial # so that he could in fact determine whether his dad got s*rewed on the "supposed replacement" or whether the engine was actually replaced with a used one (which he highly doubts).

 

That's why I posted the diagram w/the original serial # locations.

I just thru the Reman location in their in case it was replaced with one. You never know, anythings possible as far as what he's looking for.

That's obvious, so I guess I'm not understanding what you mean ? Oh well, just tryin to help lol.

 

thanks guys... haven't got under there to check the serial numbers yet, gotta chase down a misfire! cleaned t/b and it DOES run alot smother now, but think one of the coil packs is bad again! got a couple spares, that "mech" dude said they ran around $95 each! i see guys here sellin em for less for all 8 and OEM... Just so I know, the numbers on the block probably don't match the truck, right? would the pink have the original block id or contact ford? sorry to ask soo many questions, but everyone here has been really helpfull so thought i"d ask....

 

Sorry Brew, my misunderstanding. I thought that the pictures were of the "Reman" tags.