Engine and Transmission Tech

Has anyone compiled a list of these?

I can get the early 3500, SD1/TR8 numbers and the 3.9 2 bolt mains numbers.

Whatcha trying to look up?

Not so much trying to look up, it just seems as though there's no reasonable online collection for this information. There's almost nothing on the Buick boards for the SBB, there IS nothing for the Olds engines and so on. There's not much more for the Buick v6 stuff.

Right now I'm designating:
Buick 1961-1980 for v8 and 1962-1988 for v6
Olds 1961-1963
Kaiser-Jeep 1968-1971 for v8 and 1965-1971 for v6
Rover 1967-2004
Leyland 4.4L 1973-1980
GM v6 1988-2009
TVR up to 5.0L 1989-2003


I'm ignoring Pontiac because as far as I can tell, those are just from the Buick engine plant and should be standard Buick parts. I don't know what to make of Bowler, but I suspect that that is such a small production run that practically no one is ever going to see one anyways. Kind of like the Repco F1 engines. ;-]

If you have any other suggestions, I'll be happy to entertain them.

Now, the trick is to get the data populated.

Are you interested in numbers that are cast into the engine block? Or are you interested in serial numbers that are stamped-into the block and indicate something about the assembled engine? Or both?

The BritishV8 article archive includes serial number info for BOPR aluminum V8s. (Check Volume 2/1 and Volume 7/2.)

Suppose you find an engine in a barn, and you'd like to identify it. Seems to me, it's usually both easier and more interesting to observe physical characteristics than it is to look for serial numbers. In other words, IMHO well captioned photos are more useful than charts of numbers. Examples: a photo can show the row of parallel ribs on a GM 215 block that are missing on a Rover 3.5 block. Cylinder heads can be identified by physical dimensions, bolt patterns, or by accessory bosses. Intake manifolds can generally be identified at a glance from about a hundred yards. Etc.

Are you interested in numbers that are cast into the engine block? Or are you interested in serial numbers that are stamped-into the block and indicate something about the assembled engine? Or both?



Casting numbers would be a good start, the stampings would be useful to decode what you've got.




The BritishV8 article archive includes serial number info for BOPR aluminum V8s. (Check Volume 2/1 and Volume 7/2.)


I don't see those articles hosted. Do I have to order a back issue or what?





Seems to me, it's usually both easier and more interesting to observe physical characteristics than it is to look for serial numbers.


That presupposes that the person inspecting has a thorough knowledge of the physical characteristics in question.

Not that I'm against a photo database, mind you. That would be exceptionally useful for the timing covers ( this being the part with the most widespread cross application ability ) as well.

That also ignores the fact that some castings will be stronger / flow better / have smaller combustion chambers than others. If you don't have a library of casting numbers to look at, you're never going to be able to categorize them.

Take the turbo6 guys. The "109" block casting seems to be preferred, strengthwise. How would you figure that out if you weren't keeping track of WHAT block castings were available and WHICH of those castings tended to dump their guts all over the drag strip?