Thread: Engine Number?

Hey guys,

This may sound stupid but I cant find my engine number on my block anywhere? I have had a good look around with a torch but cant seem to find it....

According to the rego label it is PTXXXXXX

The casting number above the water pump is 29DB i think... (hard to tell cause the paint is chipped)

Its is in a HZ ute and is supposed to be a 308.... (painted red, but that doesnt mean anything)

Is there any other way I can tell what this engine is? Or if I am just blind and cant find the engine number.

Any help would be great.

look under the front passengers exhaust, there should be a flat surface about 2" by 1/2" or thereabouts on the block. If the numbers not there or barely readable the block may have been decked and most dont bother restamping it (machinists that is, dont know why but?)

No number means a trip to the police station, stat decs, possibly xrays and a new issued number.

Or a helpful owner of some stamps of the same type as original...

Thanks Greenhj I will pop my head under tonight...

And if its not there all the vin stamps we have at work might come in handy... (semi trailer manufacturer)

hi there how to tell if it is a 4.2 (253) or a 5ltr (308) near where the casting number is there should be like a clock with a dial if the hand is pointing to 2 its a 4.2 253 if its pointing to 5 its a 5ltr 308 as for the engine number on the left hand side of the motor passanger side just under the front of the manifold under number 2 spark plug hope this helps anybody can correct me if iam wrong cheers ...Darren

the clock tells you the time of the casting pour,2 is 2oclock.More info tomorrow when I may have more time.

well the thing is every block i have looked at they all say 2 or 5 can not make them all at the same time ??????

soddy you beat me to it & to add to that the only way i can find to say 253 or 308,the size is cast into the block 253,308 or 5.0 for the 304.for what soddy said there are 3 ways it was done & all the markings are near the clock

soddy31 has it right about the date casting decode, but to add to that a little bit
27B4 could also be 27th of February 1974.
So a check of the engine number code and actual number will be able to tell which is which.
Also if the block was cast before around June July 1973 it will have a slightly different date code.
It would be like B273 27th feb 1973 so month day year, not day month year.
As the date coding system for Holden engines changed around June/July 1973.

For reference here is a useful Holden V8 engine code list.

253/4.2 litre

11QR - HQ Statesman (@@ in HJ-HZ) high compression

11QS - HQ Statesman custom low compression

11ZR - @@ in HZ Statesman ##

253H - HT and HG high compression

253L - HT and HG low compression

BS - 1979 E and S series Bedford (Chev pattern gearbox)

QR - HQ-late HZ high compression

QS - HQ-HJ low compression

ZR - late HZ

N5R - GMP&A 253 replacement short motor VC-VH, WB

NR - Nasco (or equivalent) replacement red short motor HQ-HZ, VB

NS - Nasco (or equivalent) replacement red short motor HQ-HX ##

HR - LH/LX high compression

HS - LH/LX low compression

VR - VB to VH (red and blue)

WR - WB commercial



304/308 (5.0 litre):

11QT - HQ-late HZ Statesman

11WT - WB Statesman

11ZT - Late HZ Statesman

12WT - Late WB Statesman

308H - HT and HG

BV - 1979 E, M and S series Bedford L43 option (low compression, 2 barrel rochester)

HZ - LH SLR5000 L34

HT - LH/LX SLR5000 including A9X (except LH L34)

N5A - GMP&A 304 replacement short motor LV2

N5B - GMP&A 304 replacement short motor V5H

N5C - GMP&A 304 replacement short motor VK A9L

N5G - GMP&A 304 replacement short motor V7X

N5J - GMP&A 304 replacement short motor VL

N5T - GMP&A 308 replacement short motor VC-VK, WB

N5Z - GMP&A 308 replacement short motor V5H

NT - Nasco (or equivalent) replacement short motor HQ-HZ, VB 308

NZ - Nasco (or equivalent) replacement short motor for L34

QT - HQ-late HZ

VT - VB to VK 308 (red, blue and black)

VA - VK 304 LV2

VB - VK 304 early 1985 manual only V5H

VC - VK Group A (engine painted red) A9L

VE - VN HSV 200kW (SV5000 and other 'red cover' engines)

VG - VK 304 late 1985 manual only V7X

VJ - VL 304

VK - VN Group A 4-bolt (plus other 4-bolt models eg VP GTS)

VL - VR-VS 5.7L 215kW

VM - VT 179kW plus VSIII ute and Statesman 179kW. Also VSIII ute and Statesman with HBD 195kW engine. ##

VN - VT 304 HSV 195kW

VP - VL Walkinshaw and VT 5.7L 220kW HSV (different blocks, common number)

VU - VN to VS 304 (except VSIII ute and Statesman with 179kW engine)

VZ - VK 308 V5H

VW - VL A9L

WT - WB commercial

ZT - late HZ

stand corrected guys just shows how much i know (nothing lol) anyway thanks >>>>anyway here is my casting number can anyone tell me what mine is 24E7 casting number cheers...

Originally Posted by HQ_SS

soddy31 has it right about the date casting decode, but to add to that a little bit
27B4 could also be 27th of February 1974.
So a check of the engine number code and actual number will be able to tell which is which.
Also if the block was cast before around June July 1973 it will have a slightly different date code.
It would be like B273 27th feb 1973 so month day year, not day month year.
As the date coding system for Holden engines changed around June/July 1973.

For reference here is a useful Holden V8 engine code list.

253/4.2 litre

11QR - HQ Statesman (@@ in HJ-HZ) high compression

11QS - HQ Statesman custom low compression

11ZR - @@ in HZ Statesman ##

253H - HT and HG high compression

253L - HT and HG low compression

BS - 1979 E and S series Bedford (Chev pattern gearbox)

QR - HQ-late HZ high compression

QS - HQ-HJ low compression

ZR - late HZ

N5R - GMP&A 253 replacement short motor VC-VH, WB

NR - Nasco (or equivalent) replacement red short motor HQ-HZ, VB

NS - Nasco (or equivalent) replacement red short motor HQ-HX ##

HR - LH/LX high compression

HS - LH/LX low compression

VR - VB to VH (red and blue)

WR - WB commercial



304/308 (5.0 litre):

11QT - HQ-late HZ Statesman

11WT - WB Statesman

11ZT - Late HZ Statesman

12WT - Late WB Statesman

308H - HT and HG

BV - 1979 E, M and S series Bedford L43 option (low compression, 2 barrel rochester)

HZ - LH SLR5000 L34

HT - LH/LX SLR5000 including A9X (except LH L34)

N5A - GMP&A 304 replacement short motor LV2

N5B - GMP&A 304 replacement short motor V5H

N5C - GMP&A 304 replacement short motor VK A9L

N5G - GMP&A 304 replacement short motor V7X

N5J - GMP&A 304 replacement short motor VL

N5T - GMP&A 308 replacement short motor VC-VK, WB

N5Z - GMP&A 308 replacement short motor V5H

NT - Nasco (or equivalent) replacement short motor HQ-HZ, VB 308

NZ - Nasco (or equivalent) replacement short motor for L34

QT - HQ-late HZ

VT - VB to VK 308 (red, blue and black)

VA - VK 304 LV2

VB - VK 304 early 1985 manual only V5H

VC - VK Group A (engine painted red) A9L

VE - VN HSV 200kW (SV5000 and other 'red cover' engines)

VG - VK 304 late 1985 manual only V7X

VJ - VL 304

VK - VN Group A 4-bolt (plus other 4-bolt models eg VP GTS)

VL - VR-VS 5.7L 215kW

VM - VT 179kW plus VSIII ute and Statesman 179kW. Also VSIII ute and Statesman with HBD 195kW engine. ##

VN - VT 304 HSV 195kW

VP - VL Walkinshaw and VT 5.7L 220kW HSV (different blocks, common number)

VU - VN to VS 304 (except VSIII ute and Statesman with 179kW engine)

VZ - VK 308 V5H

VW - VL A9L

WT - WB commercial

ZT - late HZ

My V8 has an engine number 253H.... but has 308 cast on the side. So what is it? a 253 or 308???

ok so i bought a one tonner with a 253, and the bloke told me he put brock heads on it, which was irreleavent for me as im swapping it out for a 304, but how can i tell if they are

Originally Posted by soddy31

heres some wisdom from me. and i can gaurentee it 100% (old faithful "how to rebuild & hotrod holden v8s")
the way to tell how old the block is by lookin at the numbers on the front of the block. eg my 308 block says 27B4 and the clock is pointing to 2'oclock, this number refers to the casting date and time (im assuming for insurance reasons in case there's a dodgy batch of blocks released).
The number (27) stands for the date.
The letter is referring to the month (B) B is 2nd in the alphabet therefor it being February
and the last number refers to the yr (4) and cause its out of a vk it'd have to be 1984.
and the clock is for the casting time.
so i can tell you that my block was forged on the 27th of feburary 1984 at 2pm (assuming that no ones working at 2am)

the engine capacity is forged on the lower left side of the engine.
and the engine number cast onto the left corner is for theft reasons and confirmation that the car has the original block, and the fact its a serial number to keep track of production id assume.

hope this helps yous out abit

But there is no I as it can be confused with 1 so J becomes 9th month Sept