I have an 88 fairlane, wich I have been told is running a 351 cleveland. I'm pretty sure that the 351c wasn't the standard engine for the car and I was wondering if there is any way of knowing what engine it is just from looking at the block. There are no heads manifold or anything else other then internals for that matter.
Any help would be appreciated.

i am sure you mean 68 or 58, if it was 58 no, the 351C did not come about till the late 60's. If it is a 58, probably a y-block or an FE, do the spark plugs look like this? \\ //

The Cleveland engines had a cast in timing chain recess, and the thermostat mounted to the block. The fuel pump bolts are vertical. The 429/460 has horizontal fuel pump bolts with the thermostat in the intake, and a cast aluminum timing cover. The timing chain is set back a small amount into the front of the block.
The Windsors had horizontal fuel pump bolts and the thermostat in the intake with a cast aluminum timing cover. The surfaces at the front of the block are nearly perfectly flush.

too early for a 460, maybe 429.

too early for a 460, maybe 429.


Both the 460 and the 429 made their debut in 1968. The 429 in the Thunderbird (Thunderjet) and the 460 in the Lincoln. They used identical casting heads and blocks (C8VE). Neither of these engines found their way into a Fairlane until the 429 was used in 1970. 1970 was also the first year for the 351C.

A lot of the Fairlanes came with a 390 engine. I think if you have the manual and look at the vin# you will be able to find out what engine the car came with. I think your asking if the peticular engine you have is original to the car ? In that case look for a ser# stamped on block and vin# I think thats how you know they mach or not?

In 1968, Ford did not stamp all engines with a partial VIN.
Most 68 Fairlanes were 302 cars. Some came with the 390, and even less with the 428.

Thanks for all your responses.

It is an 88, and the spark plugs do look like \\ //. I'm pretty sure that it is not the original engine. And yes the thermostat is mounted on the engine block.

There was no Fairlane made in 1988?? What are first 8 digits of the VIN number?

ok, since the spark plugs look like that, it is an fe motor:
so it is either a 390 or a 428. ford stopped the 352 in 63 or so, and the 360 only seen trucks, the 406 and 410 were mercury and lincoln motors, the 330 361 and 391 were heavy service motors, so 390 and 428 is left.

ok, since the spark plugs look like that, it is an fe motor:
so it is either a 390 or a 428. ford stopped the 352 in 63 or so, and the 360 only seen trucks, the 406 and 410 were mercury and lincoln motors,

The 352 made it through '66 production. The 406 was Ford's Nascar motor during its life until the 427 was born. It was found in Galaxies as well as the full sized Mercurys. The 406 never found its way into a Lincoln. The 410 was the only Mercury specific motor of the choices you mentioned. It also was not used in Linclon cars, as the 462 was the exclusive Lincoln motor from '66 when the 410 was born until the 460 was born in '68.
You are assuming that the motor is original to the car. Even those cars which originally came with a 427 or 428 could have had a motor swap during its life and ended up with a 360.
Casting numbers of the heads (found between the center 2 spark plugs), the intake manifold, the block, and any ID tags on the distributor and carb usually shed light of the origins of the motor. Often times crankshaft casting/stamping numbers and the bore of the block must be measured to make a positive ID, as head/block numbers were shared between different CID engines. If you have a piston out of the block however, the CID of the original application for the piston is cast into its side on FE motors.