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HELP – Identifying Engine Age
a.j.stehr - 30/7/23 at 05:07 PM

Evening all! Can anyone help me identify my engine. I bought the kit car part built (many years ago!) and the previous owner had bought all the major components reconditioned from Ford rather than a donor car. I am currently struggling to pin down details of the engine which is making my life difficult as I need to get a few bits (including new starter motor) and am currently unable to find the right part.
From what I know it’s a 4-cylinder Ford ‘Pinto’ SOHC believed to be the 2lt not 1.6lt. The engine has the following numbers:

OS – side of block (front) - stamped MY43459, then casting numbers C8S1A, 202, 92HM6015BA

OS – side of block (back) - NA 1(?)

NS – side of block – plate with SPF03A031

Using the following link (https://www.motomobil.com/en/your-ford/sierra/sierra-mk2/technical-data-sierra-mk2)

It would suggest that the ‘Motor Number’ is MYZ434559 (note the M is very faint) and the ‘Motor Code’ is NA 1(?) (not 100% that it is a 1…)
Using the following link (https://www.burtonpower.com/tuning-guides/tuning-guide-pages/ford-manufacture-dates.html). It would suggest that the date would be either Oct 1972 or Jun 1991… If that is correct, not sure how I would tell the difference between the two.
A few questions:

• Can you help me identify the engine year from above?
• Are there any other details about the engine you can determine from the numbers?
• What would this mean in terms of emissions for the IVA test?
• What information will I need to support this for the IVA test?
• Based on the information above can you suggest which starter motor I should purchase?

Any help/advice appreciated 😊


Schrodinger - 30/7/23 at 08:56 PM

According to Burton's catalogue the Pinto engine was introduced in 1970 so the the first date (1972) is a possible date.
Again according to Burtons catalogue The Pinto was replaced by the DOHC engine in August 1989 so the later date (1991) could not be a Pinto.
Hope this helps.
The info comes from the tuning guides for the particular engine.


obfripper - 30/7/23 at 09:01 PM

92HM6015BA is the engineering number, the 92 indicates it is for a 92 model year, a production date of '91 would be correct as the model year prefix is usually dated forward.

Likely to be a late 2.0 pinto from a transit or p100 as they were the only ones produced '92 onward, check the engineering numbers on the head, as if you have a transit head it will have small valves and a low lift cam, designed for reliability not power.

There's a chance that ford were using new 202 blocks to replace 205 blocks in the factory supplied rebuilt pinto engines as it was likely cheaper overall to produce, but the head will be reconditioned (as transit/p100 heads were not suitable for a sierra/etc), again the head engineering number will reveal this.

Dave


a.j.stehr - 31/7/23 at 08:08 AM

Thanks Schrodinger and obfripper for your swift replies!

obfripper where would I find the head engineering number? Do I need to take off the rocker cover?

There is a sticker on the rocker cover that has some codes (looks like this as the information from the rebuild) although it is really hard to make out. I would send pictures but can't work out how to do it on here!


obfripper - 31/7/23 at 10:50 AM

Most likely between the valve guides under the rocker cover, the following link should help Id the head, but doesn't give any model specifics.

https://www.fordopedia.org/parts-catalog/pinto-ohc

There are also service engine finis and engineering numbers which may match up to your sticker numbers.

Dave


nick205 - 31/7/23 at 02:48 PM

I don't rememer the address, but you can write to Ford themselves with all the info and they'll write back confirming the engine age. When I built my Sierra based MK Indy I knew the engine age from the donor Sierra, buut did exactly that. At SVA (before IVA) time the letter from Ford satisfied the tester 100% of the engine age and what the test requirements were.

This may help

https://www.ford.co.uk/support/how-tos/ow ner-resources/vehicle-documents/how-to-get-a-build-date-letter

[Edited on 31/7/23 by nick205]


a.j.stehr - 31/7/23 at 06:01 PM

Right, so got out into the garage and took off the rocket cover...

From what I can make out, the numbers on the top of the head are as follows:
- Nearside next to cylinder 1 (front of engine) - 06 or 90.
- Centre next to cylinder 2 - 21030
- Nearside next to cylinder 3 - 82HM609068
- Offside between cylinders 3&4 - 39
- Centre next to cylinder 4 - 07M

The cam also has:
- 70261(?), 10086(?) and P on the back face
- 78HM-6250BA on the shaft

and with a bit of cleaning I could make out the following on the labels on the rocker cover - presumably related to the recondition:
- 1651692
- R36HF608(?)6(?) ABA

Nick205, many thanks, I will reach out using the email in the link provided.

obfripper, does the above help with the identification?? Also, based on what an assumption that its a 91 pinto (not 72 as previously thought) any suggestions on the best starter motor to buy? When I tried to buy one from eurocar parts the one they ordered in looked completely different! Didn't end up buying it as it looked so different and they said if I tried it and it was wrong I couldn't return.


obfripper - 31/7/23 at 07:15 PM

From your rocker cover label;

https://www.fordopedia.org/parts-catalog/finis/1651692

Looks like a 2.0 sierra pinto, multiple applications for a single part number covering 74-105kw models, the head engineering number year looks to correlate this, the camshaft is also sierra 2.0 type.

Ford may be able to give a production date from your stamped engine number but i don't know how the number you have was assigned to the engine (as the original engine number in a ford is the same as the last 7 digits of the vin number), so it may not tie up as expected.

If they can't, several people on here have used the engine number and Burton's catalogue manufacture dates guide as evidence for age when submitting for iva.


Dave


a.j.stehr - 2/8/23 at 12:50 PM

Dave,

Thanks for this. I will try to make contact with Ford to see if they can help.

In the mean time, I have been looking for a starter motor and having spoken to an ebay seller, I have purchased one of the below rather than a reconditioned one (apparently its lighter and has more torque so a better option if you don't mind it looking aftermarket). A hoping that it does the trick but apparently should fit based on the information I provided i.e. ford pinot 2lt ('91) with type 9 gearbox (wish me luck!!)

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/302904501592?hash=item468683e558:g:JnsAAOSwWdljV-v5&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA4H85PQf6z6eume4ukJ916ekWzSDdkXDQ9pHOUPVmYUqoS9 RUOjb2q43dLUdnOqrXiSCSrjBu9LzO68eFvcrRG%2FNwI%2BHnDJZucxTp5xjPHf6zIZSJh246YNo%2FFMaoZfeisn8QQrrimjB8YzNtMrb8RTpI2DAB14IPjrcs3UVq4ceatw%2F9WfVHrufGLPfT NpPwgolRpLB3hgD%2BALCP76mzyz8PUxGWKKQ6pv1ljBSRobRhZNXTgHitq%2FZ%2FHJ%2Fj%2FPFWr9PeHMoIha5fZJ43QTwu4Ra0C86jtd6K3YI%2Fs194OkCi%7Ctkp%3ABFBMkrDw4rZi

Ashley


overdriver - 2/8/23 at 05:26 PM

I had one of the aapoldham high torque starters for my Pinto engined Tiger. Worked very well - significantly better than standard unit.

As long as you've specified the correct number of teeth on the flywheel you'll be fine.

Michael.


a.j.stehr - 5/8/23 at 05:54 PM

Great news it that I got it running today!!! Still a little lumpy as needs carbs (twin Weber 45's) and ignition timing set up but great progress! Thanks for all the help.

Next questions on my list:
- does anyone know of anyone near Southampton who would be able to come and get the engine set up and running well (for IVA).
- does anyone know how to determine diff ratio (need it for digi dash setup).