Engine number vs. VIN number
07-31-2009, 12:06 AM
#1
Burning Brakes
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Engine number vs. VIN number
I never thought to look before, but I was reading up on oil squirter blocks and it seems they are the early numbers for M28/41 (or 42). My ('88) engine is numbered M28/41 #144, which I think means that it is in fact an oil squirter block, but my VIN ends in 265 (I think, I can't remember exactly but it's near there). Am I correct in assuming that it is an oil squirter block AND not the original engine the car came with? Should I be checking the heads to see if they are euros or does that not make a difference past 86.5? Thanks!
07-31-2009, 12:46 AM
#2
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If the engine is original, its not an oil squirter block, as they were only produced in the first part of the 87 model year.
You can tell which year the engine is from by the letter code in it. It'll be something like 81J00144 - the J matches the J in your VIN and denotes 1988 model year. All squirter blocks appear to have been produced in model year K, 1987.
The M28/41 engine is the manual gearbox S4 engine, which remained in prodction from 1987 to 1991, although it did get minor changes to the heads along the way ('89 has thicker bosses around the head bolts, and in '90 onwards the S4 got the same heads as the GT with better port matching to the intake)
You can tell which year the engine is from by the letter code in it. It'll be something like 81J00144 - the J matches the J in your VIN and denotes 1988 model year. All squirter blocks appear to have been produced in model year K, 1987.
The M28/41 engine is the manual gearbox S4 engine, which remained in prodction from 1987 to 1991, although it did get minor changes to the heads along the way ('89 has thicker bosses around the head bolts, and in '90 onwards the S4 got the same heads as the GT with better port matching to the intake)
07-31-2009, 01:09 AM
#3
Burning Brakes
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Ahh, I didn't look at the stamped letter. I'll go do that tomorrow and see what it says. Thanks for clearing that up, it wasn't obvious to me (perhaps I'm an idiot) from the other threads on the squirters that the letter would have to be K to in fact be a squirter. I guess in retrospect it's pretty obvious, but hindsight is 20/20.
07-31-2009, 05:52 AM
#5
If the engine is original, its not an oil squirter block, as they were only produced in the first part of the 87 model year.
You can tell which year the engine is from by the letter code in it. It'll be something like 81J00144 - the J matches the J in your VIN and denotes 1988 model year. All squirter blocks appear to have been produced in model year K, 1987.
You can tell which year the engine is from by the letter code in it. It'll be something like 81J00144 - the J matches the J in your VIN and denotes 1988 model year. All squirter blocks appear to have been produced in model year K, 1987.
J: 1988 MY
K: 1989 MY
So all squirter blocks are M28/41 (or M28/42) 81H ...
07-31-2009, 06:21 AM
#6
Nordschleife Master
07-31-2009, 06:58 AM
#7
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If '87 S4 has January 1987 or earlier build date there is hope for squirters block. All 1986 calendar year made S4 are fairly certain squirters unless block has been changed. Last manual gearbox engine number has been known for years. Its 81H00677.
Last automatic engine number is still mystery but it can be narrowed down with build date info. Its also known automatic engine 81H06569 has them and 81HO7848 don't. Delete point must be somewhere between these numbers. Very likely closer to 6569 as 677 5sp vs 1569 automatic engines is about 30/70 ratio. Number of manual cars must be close to 30% on early S4.
Largest ROW VIN which can have them could be around 1000 +/-150 and US VIN 1300 +/- 150 or thereabouts.
Last automatic engine number is still mystery but it can be narrowed down with build date info. Its also known automatic engine 81H06569 has them and 81HO7848 don't. Delete point must be somewhere between these numbers. Very likely closer to 6569 as 677 5sp vs 1569 automatic engines is about 30/70 ratio. Number of manual cars must be close to 30% on early S4.
Largest ROW VIN which can have them could be around 1000 +/-150 and US VIN 1300 +/- 150 or thereabouts.
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07-31-2009, 12:07 PM
#8
Burning Brakes
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Yeah I went and checked this morning, engine is stamped J, so it's an '88 and not a squirter. I can live with that, but am I correct in assuming that if the engine is stamped 00134 and the VIN ends in a different number (255 I think), that the engine in the car now has been replaced?
07-31-2009, 12:20 PM
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No, VIN and engine number are not in sync. In fact it would be more likely engine was changed if they were same. Usually engine number is larger than VIN but not always. Only way to say for sure if engine is original is to have access to Porsche records.
