Casting date location on replacement 2.0 aluminum block?

[Gearby]

Okay, I need some help as I can't find the casting dates for this replacement aluminum 2.0 block. This engine had been in use for some time and has plenty of grime covering it. I have what appears to be a replacement block on an engine I purchased 15 years ago or so. It has no engine number, no type number, in fact no numbers where there would normally be numbers. The engine was sold to me by Silver Star recyclers out of Rancho Cordova, CA. At first, I feared the engine was stolen due to the lacking numbers but have since learned about replacement blocks. I've been told that there are casting dates buried somewhere down the back of the block but I don't know where to look and I don't want to take the heat exchangers off to find it. Based on the numbers I get from a cold compression test to be performed in the next few days, the engine may very well be a running engine and I don't really want to take it apart any more than I have to. Please help if you've had experience with this sort of thing. Thanks in advance. Derek

[davep]

http://www.early911sregistry.org/for...l=1#post437364

[Gearby]

Hi Dave,
That was the first location I looked which would be the normal location for casting dates. But my understanding is that the replacement blocks didn't get them there. They got them somewhere down on the back of the block. Here is my picture of that spot where the casting date would be on a normal block. Any other help is greatly appreciated. Derek

[davep]

AFAIK all aluminum blocks had a casting date as part of the manufacturing process. Magnesium blocks are a different matter. What are the casting revisions on both sides of the case; 101.xR & 102.xR? This would give us a manufacturing period perhaps.

[Gearby]

Here are the photos from the underside of the engine. I know they're a bit hard to read but the numbers are 901.101.101.2R and 901.101.102.1R

[Gearby]

here are two additional photos of the engine.

[davep]

That is a magnesium case; as usual, no date codes as per the aluminum case.

[preS]

That is a magnesium case; as usual, no date codes as per the aluminum case.

Mag case but w/ an iron intermediate cover, alu chain housing covers, alu breather cover. What else?

Richard

[Gearby]

That is a magnesium case; as usual, no date codes as per the aluminum case.

Lovely, yes a search of that part number is returning a mag case. It's so much lighter in color than my other mag cases I thought it was aluminum. It was sold to me as a 1967 engine, and that's not what it is at all. It has 4 matching valve covers dated 2/65. Front chain covers are dated late '66. The fan and housing are 901.106.101.03 which is a '65/'66 housing. Chain tensioners are 901.105.519.00 and 901.105.515.1R which I think are mechanical tensioners aren't they?

[Gearby]

The newest parts on the engine appear to be the webers whose manifolds are dated Oct. of '67. Other than the case too, I guess.
Looks like it has '65 heads. 901.104.303.04. Not finding a date on the cam towers but most likely they're '65 too to match the heads and upper and lower valve covers. Anybody know where to look for those numbers?