Ok, so I bought this truck a week ago for a grand. 1986 regular cab W250 4x4. The truck runs OK, like any older truck, it's got it's little problems but for the most part it's decent. When I got it the dude told me it had a 360 in it, but when I looked at the sticker on the hood with MY VIN number on it it sais it has a 318. The air cleaner sais it has a 360, and when I went to smog it the guy said his "book" sais that for that model year any truck with a weight rating of over 8500 lbs. ( mine was 8510 lbs I believe) came stock from the factory with a 360. I tried looking for the casting numbers, but there's too much stuff in the way. Can anyone help?

 

the casting number should be on the drivers side of the block. first there will be a date, in month - day - year numbers. Underneath is the casting number, which tells you the block type:

4179930 for 360
2566080 for 318

sometimes it even says 360 or 318 after the casting number.

On the passenger side along the engine runner there is sometimes even the last few digits of the VIN. so if you check those numbers against the VIN on the dash (or was it not on the dash yet in 86?) or the one under the hood you can guess if its been rebodied or re-engined.