318 engine identification

Alaskan_TA said

The stamped numbers on the front like this are the engines serial number upon final engine assembly.

It was stamped well before a partial VIN was stamped on the passenger side which occurred after it had been mated to a transmission & right before both went into a car as an assembly.

Click to expand...

I have never seen that before, HM318R 37361?68 is a normal stamping.
the last 8 #'s with one missing or didn't get stamped deep enough to read
the first 4 are the julian date 3736 the date the engine was assembled, and the last 4 are production # that day, could be 1068 which is well within production #'s for a day. I have had 4 replacement blocks and they had 3, 4, or 5 digit #'s on the front under the head and no other #'s.