14 replies to this topic

[mk=john]

Hi
I have a 998 cooper engine rebuilt, and need to attach the engine number plate to it. There are no holes in the area where it should fit. Should the plate riveted on? exactly how do I go about fitting it?

Thanks

[Retro_10s]

i belive there are special plate rivets available from minisport/minispares etc for these. they just need bangin on with a soft hammer if i remember correctly.

click me!

Minispares only have the number plate, not the rivets but that's on the website, so it might be worth sending Simon@minispares a PM to see ifhe does have them in the shop.

Edited by Retro_10s, 17 November 2006 - 01:35 PM.

[mk=john]

Hi, so what size holes do i need to drill, and how deep do I drill?

[Retro_10s]

ah is see, i dunno, i'v seen some engine numbers stamped onto the black though where the plate usually goes...

[pdaykin]

ah is see, i dunno, i'v seen some engine numbers stamped onto the black though where the plate usually goes...

The should be riveted on - Minimail sell the rivets

However, its a real pain to get the old rivets out/drill new holes - the heat treatment they've had while in the engine block makes them very hard

[starrider]

anyone know where to get the blank plates stamped at?

[Retro_10s]

Minisport do it.

[dklawson]

The parts are sometimes called "drive pins" or "drive screws" because you "drive" them in like a nail.

They are mildly hard right out of the box. The time they spend in the block has nothing to do with hardening them. The engine block in normal operation doesn't get any hotter than your car's coolant which under most conditions is about 185 degrees F which is way too low for heat treating or even annealing.

To remove them isn't that hard (not an issue in your case, but for those who want to remove them before having an engine caustic cleaned....) Take a Dremel tool and cut a screwdriver slot across the head of the drive-screw. Use an impact driver (these are like screwdrivers you strike with a hammer) to spin the pin out a fraction of a turn so you can get a grip on the head with pliers. Then just back them out CCW like a screw.

Do not worry about the hole size until you buy the pins. Once you have the pins, measure their OD as best you can. Remember, they aren't round like a nail, they are like a piece of hex stock that's been twisted to raise threads (this will make sense when you see them). Find the approximate OD and drill your holes about 0.005" smaller than the OD of the pins. This will allow the raised threads to bite into the metal when you tap them in.

Others in the U.K. will know better than I where you can purchase new reverse stamped plates.

[minislapper]

You don't legally need an engine number plate! Is it worth all the hassle?

[dklawson]

The only reason I bothered with my engine tag is because my engine is original to the car and on collector cars this increases the overall value. On later, daily driver cars the tags probably aren't important at all.

[Bam]

Do you have to have an engine tag?
Chris.

[mk=john]

Hi
Thanks for the help, but I have tried miniapares, and minisport for the pins but they dont sell them. Any ideas as to who might stock these items?

Also, I am putting a Weslake patents plate on my rocker cover. On some cars I see it back to front, and others so you can read it from standing at the front of the car facing towards the rear. Which is the correct orientation for the plate?

Cheers

[Jammy]

Try DSN Classics (01953 455551).

[dklawson]

This won't help you much but it will at least give you a picture to go by. See:
www.mcmaster.com
When the page loads, type 3180 into the search field and go to the bottom of the page that loads.

I used #8 drive screws in stainless steel. You may find that a nut & bolt supply house in the U.K. sells these. If you don't want to get them from an industrial supplier, consider calling around to shops that rebuild engines. I'll bet they have them available.

[*DJH*]

Try DSN Classics (01953 455551).

Thats Where I Get My Parts From! Very Reliable And Nearly Always Have Everything In Stock...