Vin - Location

[Ford F834]

Jon,

Did Ford ever stamp the VIN or partial VIN on the diesel engines? My 1984 302 has the last 8 digits of the VIN stamped on the block. The 1985 4x4 I just bought with 302 is not stamped. I've read posts on FTE where others have stamped engines as well, but it seems to be more common that they are NOT stamped. I did some reading on the topic a while back, and it looks like Ford did stamp the small blocks on and off over the years, but it's really inconsistent.

Cory, the diesels have a serial number stamped on them which can be really important in the 6.9 years regarding which improvements is has or lacks, but has nothing to do at all with the vehicle VIN.

[85lebaront2]

Cory, the diesels have a serial number stamped on them which can be really important in the 6.9 years regarding which improvements is has or lacks, but has nothing to do at all with the vehicle VIN.

Somewhere in the 80s there was a requirement that the last portion of the VIN had to be stamped on major components, such as engines and transmissions. There is a location where it is supposed to be on the frame rail. Good luck with your search, are there any stickers on the windows that might identify which assembly plant the truck came from?

The sticker on the body is on the driver's side door post above the striker except on crew cabs, on a crew cab it is on the rear of the driver's door just above the latch. This becomes a problem if the door is replaced.

[Steve83]

There is a location where it is supposed to be on the frame rail.

There are usually 2; one below the firewall, and one below or behind the passenger seat. This shows the locations on '66-77 Broncos (which used the whole VIN):

https://supermotors.net/getfile/876772/thumbnail/ebframexdims.jpg

[Gary Lewis]

There is a location where it is supposed to be on the frame rail.

There are usually 2; one below the firewall, and one below or behind the passenger seat. This shows the locations on '66-77 Broncos (which used the whole VIN):

https://supermotors.net/getfile/876772/thumbnail/ebframexdims.jpg

Here's the best I can do until I get the cab off the frame on Dad's truck. The parial VIN, which is upside down in this pic, starts at the right end of the red oval, and that's basically 11" aft of the rear bolt that holds the radius arm bracket onto the frame. And, I think the hole that's nearest the start of the VIN is the front hole for the transmission crossmember's angle brace.

[Ford F834]

Here's the best I can do until I get the cab off the frame on Dad's truck. The parial VIN, which is upside down in this pic, starts at the right end of the red oval, and that's basically 11" aft of the rear bolt that holds the radius arm bracket onto the frame. And, I think the hole that's nearest the start of the VIN is the front hole for the transmission crossmember's angle brace.

Excellent directions Gary! I found my ‘81 partial VIN in seconds. The ‘82 4wd donor stumped me. I never did find that one 🤔.

[Gary Lewis]

Excellent directions Gary! I found my ‘81 partial VIN in seconds. The ‘82 4wd donor stumped me. I never did find that one 🤔.

Glad it helped, Jonathan. But hopefully I'll lift the cab on Dad's truck in the near future and can then easily see and photograph the partial VIN.

As for the 82's VIN, I wonder if it is so lightly stamped that you can't see it at that angle?

[Gary Lewis]

Glad it helped, Jonathan. But hopefully I'll lift the cab on Dad's truck in the near future and can then easily see and photograph the partial VIN.

As for the 82's VIN, I wonder if it is so lightly stamped that you can't see it at that angle?

Ok, the cab's off Dad's truck and I can update these dimensions.

As it turns out, there are two partial VIN's on the frame. In the pic below the tape measure starts at the rear bolt of the passenger's side radius arm mount and the rear VIN starts at about 21" back while the front one starts at 11" back - even with the transmission crossmember's front hole. (There are two sets of holes in this pic, with the 1st on the right and the 3rd one from the right being the original holes, the the 2nd and 4th from the right are for using the original crossmember with a ZF5.)

Here's another view of them:

[Rembrant]

Ok, the cab's off Dad's truck and I can update these dimensions.

As it turns out, there are two partial VIN's on the frame. In the pic below the tape measure starts at the rear bolt of the passenger's side radius arm mount and the rear VIN starts at about 21" back while the front one starts at 11" back - even with the transmission crossmember's front hole. (There are two sets of holes in this pic, with the 1st on the right and the 3rd one from the right being the original holes, the the 2nd and 4th from the right are for using the original crossmember with a ZF5.)

Here's another view of them:

Gary,

Off topic...sort of...but what is that crossmember for that wraps up on the outside of the frame rail?

[Gary Lewis]

Gary,

Off topic...sort of...but what is that crossmember for that wraps up on the outside of the frame rail?

E4OD. Came out of Huck, the '90 F250. Also has a reinforcement bracket like most crossmembers have that goes from the crossmember to the top of the frame.

I'll be showing that Monday evening, I hope, as my brother and I put it in place.

[Rembrant]

E4OD. Came out of Huck, the '90 F250.

OK, very good sir. That explains a lot. I kept seeing that one when I was searching for a 1988-1996 4x4 5spd crossmember, and I didn't know what it was for. I had a couple guys tell me they were for a 5spd, but I knew they were not.