911S engine or not?
 

Is there a way to tell without removing the engine whether or not a car has "S" heads, cams and pistons?

I am looking at a car that has no documentation on the engine work. What I know is that the original 1968 S engine was replaced by a 1969 S engine. The engine has the correct serial number for a 69S as well as a 901/10 code. It is running on Webers rather than MFI.

The previous owner claims that the person he bought it from told him that car was bumped up to 2.2 liters. Beyond that I have no more info.

So my question is this: Is there any way to ascertain what is running around inside this engine without dropping it and taking off a head?

Thanks

PeteM1965,

Look at the casting dates on the cylinder heads.
They are visible from the underside of the engine looking to the outboard.
They all should have a late ’68 or early ’69 dates.
They should all be close (but not necessarily the same) dates.

It is not easy to convert a 2.0 to a good running 2.2 without either replacing the heads or (undesirable) modifying the 2-liter heads.
If this was converted to 2.2, were the 2.2S P&Cs used?
You should confirm that there are aluminum (Biral actually) cylinders and not iron.

You can measure the cam timing with just removing the intake valve covers.
All you can easily confirm if it is timed as an S.

The intake ports are larger on the S.
I don’t recall the number.
The ‘69S heads should still have the injection nozzles or plugs visible.

There isn’t any easy way to tell if it still has the 911S-only crank and rods.

If the price of the car is a premium because it has a ‘69S engine, buy it with the engine disassembled for inspection.

These engines are very valuable.
I would not like to run an ‘unknown’ one to 7300 rpm all the time.
Running there is what a 911S is all about. :D

Please post pictures.

Best,
Grady