missing 1098 engine number

[edd]

whilst stripping the car i cant seem to find the engine number.

im assuming the engine numebr should be where ive circled on the photo below but all that is left is 2 rivets and a corroded piece of metal.


is this unusual? could this have been done if the engine was changed so that no one would realise (the car has done a documented 43k miles)

looking through other post its a 1098 as it has 1100 stamped onto a plated rivited to the side of the block

is it possible to get a new plate with the engine number from the log book fitted?

any help would be appreciated as ive only had the car 4 weeks and am still trying to work out whats been done to the car in the past

Edd

[Cam]

Yes, that's nothing to worry about, a few of my engines have no number (30 odd years of corrosion!!)

You can get one stamped up with your original number if you like, but a lot of people don't bother, as it's not really that important.

[Chris Morley]

I agree with Cam, it's not so important. Many minors will have had one (or more) recon engines over 3 or 4 decades.

[edd]

Cheers.
if its not inportant then ill just leave it and get on with rebuilding it.

Edd

[Willie]

Looks like corrosion in your case since the two 'rivets' are
still in place. If the engine had been reconditioned the two
rivets would have been ground off to enable the reboring
tools to sit on a flat surface!! The rivets are actually sort
of twisted splines.....if you can drive a thin wedge under the
heads and turn them anti clockwise at the same time,they
will come out. It will then be easy to fashion an aluminium
plate and get your log book number stamped on it, then tap
the rivets back in.

[brixtonmorris]

this could be caused when the engine is rebored. the reboring machine need a flat surface to sit on

[rayofleamington]

I had a low compression engine rebuilt and wanted to keep the original engine number.
The engine rebuilder got the rivets out easily and kept the plate. Unfortunately he couldn't find 2 new rivets to put it on with and used silicon instead The plate promptly fell off somewhere in the Midlands.
Like it's already been mentioned - when the car is 40 years old, nobody worries about originality of the engine.
(The exception is if you want to get to Gold concours level but if you wanted that you would have to worry about a milion other things too before deciding to buy a car.)

If you get a plate stamped up it won't look original anyway. The proper ones were pressed so the letters should stand 'out' pround not be stamped 'in'. Therefore you may as well not bother.

[Kevin]

The proper ones were pressed so the letters should stand 'out' pround not be stamped 'in'.

If you do wish to do it use a piece of wood and stamp in reverse.

[rayofleamington]

If you do wish to do it use a piece of wood and stamp in reverse.

then use a mirror to read it??

I thought the easiest way to get one looking original would be to find someone who does decorative etching (the stuf where they print on the metal and use acid to eaty back the surrounding material)

[Kevin]

Or use one of the old machines that used to be on piers and the like that stamp out your name etc on a strip of metal.

[racer]

Apparently there are two different size main bearings(1.75"/2.0") on 1098's the prefix on the tag would show this,or you 'd have to strip the engine to check .

[Willie]

RACER...not on Minor 1098 engines only the 1098 Midget engines
(Sprite MK 3, Midget MK 2) engine number begins with 10CC(for the
2" bearings).

[nick_h]

The things we do for love...........

[racer]

Thanks for that Willie . I'm getting closer dialing in to the correct model to look for now !