21 replies to this topic

[wbutcheruk2]

A couple of years ago my friend brought a 1275 engine. He gave it to me to cover some rent money on our workshop. This weekend i went and picked it up to swap with my current 1275 metro engine as it has a couple of oil leaks and could do with a refurb. The new engine i'm told has a big valve head so sounds good already.

The problem is there is no engine number. How could i find this? or what do i do about getting one so i can get the V5 altered. The plate which is normally on the front just below the thermostat is not there.

[Guess-Works.com]

Without the engine number you'll not know the spec of the engine without pulling it apart.

As for what goes on the v5, what ever you like, in the past I've used UNKNOWN, N/A and made them up.

[AVV IT]

This seems to be a common problem, because the engine number tends to be on a small metal plate that is just riveted to the block, and they either fall off, or get removed whilst working on the engine. If you don't have the engine number, or the logbook from the car which the engine came from though, then I'm not sure if you will actually be able to establish it. If it's a metro engine with a big valve head, then it sounds like a Pre 1989 MG metro engine, in which case I believe that the first six digits of the engine number would have been something like 12HD24, or 12H996 but the remaining digits would be the serial number specific to that engine.

If you do establish an engine number, then once you get the logbook changed, minisport will make a new plate up for you for about £15, if you send them a copy of the logbook.

Edited by AVV IT, 03 December 2012 - 10:11 AM.

[wbutcheruk2]

So there would be no other identification marks on the engine (i haven't looked yet)?

With regards to the V5 sending if off to be updated with "UNKNOWN" is perfiectly ok and legal?

cheers.

[AVV IT]

There are no there no other distinguishing marks that I'm aware of no.

Don't just send the log book off to DVLA to advise of an engine swap though, regardless of whether or not you actually have the engine number. In an attempt to crack down on vehicle identity crime, DVLA now require evidence of an engine change. So you will usually need an engineers report or similar (i.e. a letter from a garage etc on headed paper) confirming that there has actually been an engine change, and the details of the new engine. If you don't do this, DVLA have a habit of confiscating the logbook until you provide it. Also this can sometimes be a long and complicated process, so make sure you have also put 12 months tax on the car before sending the logbook off, otherwise you may not be able to tax/use the car whilst all this is going on.

[Carlos W]

Has the old engine got an engine number?

[wbutcheruk2]

Yep the old engine has a number on it.

I thought the v5 has to match up with the engine in the car. As i'm changing the engine myself how would i go about telling the DVLA and proving the engine has been swapped?

[AVV IT]

As i'm changing the engine myself how would i go about telling the DVLA and proving the engine has been swapped?

As I explained in my post above, once you have fitted the engine you will need to take the car to a garage and get them to produce an engineers report confirming the details of the new engine and that a genuine engine swap has taken place. You then send a copy of this report off to the DVLA with the log book.

[wbutcheruk2]

OK and then i can update the V5 to engine number "unknown" and send off garage report. Sorted!

[AVV IT]

Yeah, just as long as you can find a garage that are happy to confirm and document that a genuine engine swap has taken place on an engine with no engine number! I guess that's gonna depend on the individual garage, but you might find that some are a lot less keen then others.

[Tamworthbay]

There is nothing to stop you putting your own number on, perhaps your date of birth or the date fitted plus capacity? There are obviously issues regarding nicked stuff, but the DVLA aren't interested in legit people changing engines. They just seem to want to make life difficult, they may be more of a pain if the engine has no number. Don't try and fake an approx number either as this could cause hassle, better to have a distinct personal number. I had no end of hassle on a motorbike when they changed the V5s over. They had mistaken a 0 for an 8 but it was nightmare to get it changed. They wanted evidence of the engine. Change even though I told them repeatedly it wasn't an engine change but a mess up their end.

[wbutcheruk2]

Thanks for all the info. A person at work told me i could put my own number on so i was thinking something like "WB then date changed and end in 1275" then i'll speak to a few garages to see what they can do. Doesn't sound as bad as i first thought it was having no number.

[AVV IT]

So if you can legally assign any engine number you like, then what's to stop you just assigning your existing/old engine number to your new engine? I can understand that you probably wouldn't want to assign a 998 engine number to a 1275, but if you're assigning a 1275 engine number to another 1275 block, then what's the difference?

Edited by AVV IT, 03 December 2012 - 07:50 PM.

[Tamworthbay]

So if you can legally assign any engine number you like, then what's to stop you just assigning your existing/old engine number to your new engine? I can understand that you probably wouldn't want to assign a 998 engine number to a 1275, but if you're assigning a 1275 engine number to another 1275 block, then what's the difference?

The number is supposed to be unique, if you use one you know exists, technically you are in potential areas of hassle with the DVLA. In practice, at the moment there are no central searchable records of engine numbers so the chance of being caught is slim, but if you were it looks very ringer like.

[Carlos W]

So if you can legally assign any engine number you like, then what's to stop you just assigning your existing/old engine number to your new engine? I can understand that you probably wouldn't want to assign a 998 engine number to a 1275, but if you're assigning a 1275 engine number to another 1275 block, then what's the difference?

The number is supposed to be unique, if you use one you know exists, technically you are in potential areas of hassle with the DVLA. In practice, at the moment there are no central searchable records of engine numbers so the chance of being caught is slim, but if you were it looks very ringer like.

But if you remove the engine number from the old engine no-one will know what the engine number for that engine is