Is there a way to lookup if an engine or transmission has been previously installed?
 

Does anyone know if there's a way to see if an engine has been installed in a vehicle before (i.e. with a rebuilt engine, for example)? I'm assuming if there is, it's probably only a Ford only type thing but I was just curious.

I am not quite sure what you are asking or suspecting. At any rate any work that was done at a Ford dealer (warranty or otherwise) can be looked up in their database by VIN. That would be the place to start looking.

I just wanted to see if there was a way to match an installed block's serial number to a VIN. Mainly just to see if an engine was rebuilt (previously in use in another vehicle) or if it's new off the line.

Yeah, that was my thought too but have not been able to find it or find any information online about where to find it. I have the engine number but that only says when and where it was assembled and some other info. I'm guessing Ford has a way to see what engine went into what VIN, but nothing that they would make available to the public. The "new" engine that was put in my truck has the same problems as the old one. It was assembled in April 2017...which just seemed odd to me that it sat on a rack somewhere for almost two years. I'm just trying to figure out if it's actually new, a rebuild, or possibly pulled from a defective donor the dealer had sitting in the back. The engine showed up within 12 hours of being ordered...and from what I can tell from other stories that's abnormally fast for an engine. It's definitely not the engine I had in the truck before but certainly doesn't seem new to me.

I would go back to the dealer and let them know of the identical issue you have with your replacement engine. By the way, when you read your warranty fine print it will tell you that Ford (or any other manufacturer) can install new or rebuilt parts at their discretion.

I'm curious, what issue did you have with your 5.0?

Blue/yellow smoke on startup combined with a knock just off idle (could be duplicated by slightly brake torquing) and 2000-3000 RPM. The old engine was replaced due to scoring in the cylinder head (cams and caps) and cylinders, defective cylinder head, out of round cylinder 5, bearing shot, and crankshaft end play out of spec. I think one thing led to another with the old one. The new one has the off idle knock (not the 2000-3000 RPM one) and blue/yellow smoke at startup. It is a different engine since my original engine was manufactured in 2015 and this new one was manufactured 2 years ago in 2017. My guess at this point is that they had a defective 2017 that was returned sitting on their lot and they simply swapped it out with my old one. It's the only way I can make sense of the 12 hour turnaround time and the 2 year age on the new engine. Might sound paranoid but I can't explain why this one is having problems that didn't show up on the other one until about 5000 miles or so. This one is supposedly "new" according to the dealership.

that isn't how it works, You got a new long block that was assembled in 2017. There was no swapping with different trucks. Did you get a long block or just a short block with new heads?

Ford does not do fully assembled ready to drop in gas engines

They said it was a long block. GL3Z-6006-B was the ordered part.