Engine without serial #

[911s68sporto]

I have an engine without a serial #, is that possible?
It has the casting # 916/10.
Who can tell me more about this engine?

[Matt Monson]

I can only find one reference in all my books about any sort of 916 type number. Bruce Anderson says it was a sport purposes 2.0l engine from 1968.

Can you post pictures and give more background? Casting numbers on the side by the cylinder bores, for example.

It was a replacement case and never belonged to a specific car. That's a rare piece there if I am right. I will be following this to see what you learn from others. I love this kind of archeology and expect to learn some history from this one.

[ossiblue]

Engines without a serial number are likely factory replacement cases. The 916/10, I suspect, indicates the engine is a 914, six cylinder engine.

[Matt Monson]

Engines without a serial number are likely factory replacement cases. The 916/10, I suspect, indicates the engine is a 914, six cylinder engine.

Nope, those are 901/36 and 901/38. And one of the 11 916s got a 911/86.

[911s68sporto]

Here some photos. It is now a 2.2 ltr and probably an injection engine but converted to carburetors. It are S injection heads.

[Matt Monson]

Post the numbers under the center cylinder, as seen here:
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploads18/mattia+74+911+83+oddity+11309573107.jpg

[Matt Monson]

Now that I'm on my computer that almost looks restamped. Is that a shadow of another 0 to the right of the 10?

The crankcase you want this to be is this one:
906 Crankcase, Magnesium - Serial is BLANK - Photo 1 photo - 914-6 GT photos at pbase.com
See those ribs along the bottom? That's what you want to look for. A standard 2.0l crankcase won't have those.

[diverdan]

Ouch. I think Matt got it right. Ordinarily, a clean boss would indicate a replacement case. Unfortunately, in this case the shadow numbers (Yes plural) and apparent galling indicate possible renumbering or tampering. Check it out or move on. Good luck.

[911s68sporto]

Originally Posted by diverdan

Check it out or move on. Good luck.

I only try to find out what engine this is, I am to old for this things. Please stay out of this thread.

Matt,
I took a picture of the part number below the cylinders, maybe this helps? I don't think the number is restamped, why would you restamp to an unknown engine type? How do you get the stamps with the right font? I'm not so experienced with Porsche, I'm restoring my 911s sporto and that's it. I could have this engine for less.
Frans

[Matt Monson]

Standard 2.0l crankcase.

Why would someone re stamp a case? Could be stolen. Getting similar dies to Porsche's are not so hard.

[djpateman]

Let me look into this. Please try and get a photo of the other side of the crankcase (901.101.101.xR)
Also see if there is any #'s on the top of the case near the thermostat where the 914/6 engines had serial #'s.
There is a remote possibility it could be a 916 engine, but really the type 916 engines were for 1967-68 twin-cam racing version of type 901.

[911s68sporto]

I have taken some more photos and did some research too. The casting numbers on both sides of the case are telling the case is designed for use in a 2.0 ltr 911S 901/02 model year 1967/1968 or a 911/911L 901/14 model year 1968. I think this was a replacement case without serial, production engine type number but there was a moment that somebody was convinced the car was in need of a engine type number. Unfortunately he stamped a not existing engine type number in the engine. I cannot find any prove the serial or production number has been removed. Not on the front neither on the rear. Convince your self as far this is possible from these photos. This what I think but if you have other thoughts let me know.

[group911@aol.co]

Look 4 numbers below the ones you outlined. 901/16 and the case numbers correspond to the 69 engine. Could be an off the shelf replacement engine that would have had a type assigned but not necessarily a vin

[joegt3cup]

Is it possible someone ground off the serial number ? My understanding is if it is a unnumbered replacement case it won't have a type number either.

Joe

[Matt Monson]

Originally Posted by joegt3cup

Is it possible someone ground off the serial number ? My understanding is if it is a unnumbered replacement case it won't have a type number either.

Joe

I've seen them both ways. When I worked at Carquip, we had a couple 901/14 NOS replacement cases that Tom bought from Vasek. And we also had an NOS 7R replacement case that had the right casting numbers to be used as a 911/74 RSR 3.0l build but it had no type number on it.

My initial excitement aside, I don't think there is anything of interest about this case. I doubt it was a replacement case. It might have been, but the casting clearly shows it isn't anything special if it was.

Are the casting numbers "correct" for a 1968S? Sure. They are also correct for several other 1968 engines. Will this engine add any value to a 1968S restoration? Nope. The original engine is gone. They are only original once.

Is the price right? Buy it and build it for your engine and enjoy your car.

[911s68sporto]

I do not need it for my 911s sportomatic, that car is an unmolested all original car. I could buy the subject of this thread very cheap and had never seen a Porsche engine without serial number. I am not so involved in the Porsche scene.
Thanks for the help.