Hi,

going though the sva manual I have noticed a BIG problem! Trying to find the engine number for my essex 6v I have discovered it doesn't have one, Its been ground off! oh poop!

The engines a fully reconditioned unit I bought from a guy who had it in his old capri. I have had it in cars before and never noticed it had no number as I painted the block. I have a pinto in a JBA falcon but it will be a real sod to swap them over as the falcons front is no longer removable, barring angle grinder, which you need to do to remove the engine. What a disaster...

What am I to do? make up a number? I was thinking of going to a scrappy to find one but there's not many off the engines left.

How do I prove what year the engines from for emissions? as I want to use a carb.

Help please required!

Ideally you would have to change the block or engine to comply with all the legal stuff. I am not sure you can do anything else unless you can get another block from the scrappy and punch that number on your existing block, then scrap the other block (if you get what I mean)

I registered my car without an engine number. It is quite legal to do so. I had trouble with the VOSA inspection until I found a printed reciept on letter headed paper for the engine. Once I found this, I got my registration number OK.

Hmm how do you mean regestered? do you mean getting it through the sva test or just keeping the orginal donor car reg way of things.

I was just on the phone to the scrappy they want 175+vat for a crappy old 140k v6. Yeh right! Anyone got a picture of the engine number location, like in a manual or something so I can take the number from that...

Earlier in the year (or maybe last year ??) I gave away a 78 3.0l auto capri to someone in the scottish capri owners club - complete with a (barely) running engine

There are plenty of scrap capri's and scimitars and parts around (hiding in sheds like my scimitar) - some of the owners clubs do classified adds etc

I shouldn't take long to find another engine/block if you wanted (although you'd probibly need to rebuild it)

I think I have the problem licked. I now have the number of an engine (never put your engine number on the web) and will simply take the number before that...yeh!

Oh I can hear the tut tut's from here, but I've had that thing for ages. I still have the receipt from the guy I bought it from so thats handy.

Thanks for all the advise but I think I'll just be bad instead!

Bear in mind that if you don't want a 'Q' plate (you may, in which case ignore this) you have to get a letter from Ford proving your engine age.
So your 'new' number needs to be a valid one that Ford will recognise.

Cheers,
James

good point but Q plate doesn't bother me on this car as it looks like a kit car anyway, you know what I mean!

Don't I have to prove the engine age even for an SVA test if I want to use a carb? I have an injection set up for it but not the room to fit it!

The new engine numbers valid and I did a check to see if anyone on the web has it for there car and nothing came up.

quote:

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Originally posted by macnab

The new engine numbers valid and I did a check to see if anyone on the web has it for there car and nothing came up.

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well, how many Capri’s still survive not many. I had one and that didn't last very long, rubbish handling. I often wonder just how much or how little the DVLA actually have on things like engine numbers, remember the disastrous wankle powered car, some where on their 9th engine. Did the DVLA have that on their records...

No so long as it's got a number and a receipt I'm sure they couldn't care less. Different if it was the chassis number.

Just a final point on the DVLA. I don't know if your getting those ads on telly in your area, the one's with 'You can't hide from the Computer!' or something. Well this is 2006, its taken this long to get a computer system that can just tell if your cars on or off the road. What are the chances that they are going to be able to cross check engine and gearbox numbers not to mention the steering and suspension numbers I got asked for when doing my buggy? I wouldn't be surprised at all if 'the computer' had a handle...

My R1 engine had the number ground off and got through the SVA ad DVLA inspection fine - I did tell them about it beforehand and showed the receipt for the engine though

hmm,

well thats that then, I'm just stamping on that new number...

What a relief.

Quick point - no engine number doesn't necessarily mean foul play & it's been ground of - when I bought a brand new short engine (V8) it had no engine number at all - never had one.
Bob

Also, many engine tuners/remanufacturers remove the number and replace it with one of there own, so it's more than possible to be missing it. You don't need the engine number itself, what you do need is proof of the engines age, so the SVA man can test it to the correct emission levels. Proof can sometimes be found on Ford headed note paper........

quote:

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Originally posted by Bob C
Quick point - no engine number doesn't necessarily mean foul play & it's been ground of - when I bought a brand new short engine (V8) it had no engine number at all - never had one.
Bob

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why was I worrying...?

Ford headed note paper. Good idea.

Though the fact that it has a carb stuck on top I would have thought would kind of make them think.

essex was never made late enough to be an issue. If they are daft about it sort it out then, but you shouldn't have a problem.

As you say, just stamp the number on, as long as its not duplicate or dodgy its fine

I was led to believe an engine number is nothing more than a manufacturers serial number. ie its not a legally related number like a chassis / VIN. As long as the engine doesnt appear on a Police wanted register etc i cant see there being a problem, as Nat says they wont be new enough for Cat tests etc so most likely will be 3.5% at worst.


The lassy from DVLA who did my home inspection was all for leaving the engine number off the docs when i was getting mine thro DVLA, she said its not a DVLA requirement. Im sure VOSA just checked it as it was mentioned on my Ford letter so they could be sure it was 3.5% limit.

I also have no engine number and did not realise you could register without one!
Still searching for a fireblade number may have a v5 doc for a cortina but with a v5 for a blade I could use the engine and box as the percentage towards my build spotted one on Ebay
which means I could use the reg off the bike?
dont know what to do?