Engine block number is unreable

[Nibbsy32]

Hey blokes,
3 months ago I purchased a 1998 XH Ford Falcon Longreach ute and had to get a blue slip as I was transferring it from Vic to NSW rego. It was knocked back on a couple of easy fixes, one problem though, was that the engine block number was extremely hard to read/pretty much unreadable. I've tried pushing some baby powder into it to make the numbers a bit easier to read and I can make out a couple of figures which seem to be different to the engine number listed on the info plate in the engine bay.
Has anyone had a similar issue to this? If so, did you have a trick to read the number better? And if the number is different, what's the process like for updating the information through the RTA.

[ozpacman]

Mate try using your phone to get close to it and take a few pics from different angles. Sometimes it's amazing how well the camera captures the characters.

[prktkljokr]

Quick rub with some sandpaper, dab with paint pen and wipe, I do this before licencing cars here in WA, many times I have been asked to make engine number readable.

The phone is a good trick, I have done this on many Hyundai Getz, as the number is above the bell housing on the back of the block and impossible to see.