Which block do I have?

[RadDsm]

I have a spare bare block that I'm looking to use now, but I have no idea what year its from. I searched around and couldn't find anything really. I was told it was a 7 bolt block, but the guy I bought it from didn't know what year.

Could someone point me in the right direction?

This is the only thing I found that looks anything like it could mean something. But its definitely not a VIN. Maybe I'm just looking in the wrong spots for the VIN, does it mean anything to anyone?

Its right next to the oil pickup tube.

QW9499

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[viperlp01]

Show us a pick of the girdle. If it is a one peice girdle it is a 7 bolt. If the crank is in it take the crank out and see if it has a single peice thrust bearing or if it has split thrust bearings. If it is single than it is a 95-96 block if its split it is 97-99

 

[RadDsm]

I don't have the girdle for it, here is a pic of the underside of it.

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[rlacasse1]

My understanding is that if you don't have the correct girdle that was on the engine then you just have a very large paper weight.

 

[newTSIguy]

yup,

 

[JEFFREYCASTGSX]

If the oil squirters (if it has them) are right next to the mains then you know that at least its a 2g turbo. If the oil squirters are like 6-bolts and later evos, where the squirters are mounted into a dedicated galley with a tube pointing in to the cylinder, then its a 1g 7-bolt.


I just noticed the squirters, so its a 2g, if that helps.

 

[GSXSixteenG]

My understanding is that if you don't have the correct girdle that was on the engine then you just have a very large paper weight.

No, the girdle should be aligned honed with the crank during any build.

 

[95GSXBLUR]

Definitely a possibility to use Billet Mains on a block like that. It just really matters, like posted above, is that the mains are align-honed.

Then you shouldn't have any issues popping a crank in there, you'll be good to go.

 

[RadDsm]

No, the girdle should be aligned honed with the crank during any build.

So that means I can use a girdle from a different block then?

 

[dsm-onster]

No, the girdle should be aligned honed with the crank during any build.

Only if you're main bolts don't check out and you have to replace them.

If you replace them with oem, then the distortion is LIKELY zero. But better safe than sorry if you're going to replace the bolts at all, since your usually doing a full rebuild if you're in there to the point of checking main bolt stretch.

Guys that swap them out for ARP mains need to line hone regardless. Different clamping force. ASSuming there's no distortion would be silly.

 

[RadDsm]

Ok so I can use the other girdle if I get new main bolts and have it line honed.

Any guess on what year the block is?

 

[jrohner]

Isn't there a VIN stamped on the block? That would tell you the year and the car it's out of.

 

[RadDsm]

Isn't there a VIN stamped on the block? That would tell you the year and the car it's out of.

I thought there was too, but I can't find one anywhere on it. The only markings I found are in that pic I posted in the first post.

 

[wickedz]

PM me, and I will sell you a good 7 bolt griddle and crank for really cheap. The machine shop will align my stuff to your block easily. I have a few spare parts so I figured I would offer, if you were on a budget

 

[Redwidow]

I just noticed the squirters, so its a 2g, if that helps.

Where do you see oil squirters? I don't see any, which leads me to believe its a N/T Block. Still unsure whether its a 6 or a 7 though, bubt due to the width of the main bearing journals, im leaning towards a 7 bolt, but its hard to tell with a picture. Can you get any measurements of the width of the journals? Honestly I would just find another block, unless you are doing some crazy build and need billet main caps and Main studs.

 

[BogusSVO]

well unless you find a girdle for it, or some sort of min caps, the block is useless, and if you do not have the factory installed girdle, the avarage cost on getting a block line honed is about $150 (in my area)

VIN is Vehicle Identification Number it is on the chassis, not the engine, some car makers have engine build codes

the QW9499, may be a date code, qw could be the casting code 9499, may be a date code, if so I would say it was cast/machined april 9 1999... BUT THIS IS JUST A GUESS!!!!

 

[donniekak]

You will need to have the mains bored, not honed to get a good journal out of mismatched block/girdle. I could only find 1 machine shop in my area to do it, $300+. A line hone will only correct up to a .003" mismatch. Most cap/block mismatches are much more than this. I have an ams o-ringed 6-bolt block that is pretty much useless because the guy i got it from never found the caps.

 

[JEFFREYCASTGSX]

Where do you see oil squirters? I don't see any, which leads me to believe its a N/T Block. Still unsure whether its a 6 or a 7 though, bubt due to the width of the main bearing journals, im leaning towards a 7 bolt, but its hard to tell with a picture. Can you get any measurements of the width of the journals? Honestly I would just find another block, unless you are doing some crazy build and need billet main caps and Main studs.

Look at the holes in the mains, the ones that look like they have taper are the holes for the oil squirters.

 

[Redwidow]

Look at the holes in the mains, the ones that look like they have taper are the holes for the oil squirters.

No, the oil squirters usually go in the areas I have circled in red.

 

[whiteboyz]

No, the oil squirters usually go in the areas I have circled in red.

That would be true if it was a 6bolt or 7bolt. 95+ 7bolts have the squiters in the cylinder wall. but i can not tell from the pics if you have them in the cyl walls.

I can check a couple of the blocks i have to see what the numbers are and i will get back to you.

 

[JEFFREYCASTGSX]

No, the oil squirters usually go in the areas I have circled in red.

Yes, but not in the 95-99 turbo 4g63's. The 1g's and evo's after the 4 gen have the oil squirters where you say they are, the 2g's have them where i say.