Help with engine tag

[Ron]

Hi all, I've been going over my data card from M-B, and learning about my car.  The car is a 1966 230SL.  I've only had the card a few days, but have a few questions.  The card and car match, the colors have remained the same, as have the options. 

The issue is the engine number.  The data car lists the number: 127981-10-010782.  On the block is the VIN number as listed matching the card and frame.  This is stamped faintly above a riveted tag.  As best I can see, the tag has:

Teil N. 127010410080.               (The first 10 numbers are stamped in, the "80" is painted.)
Aggregat 342855

Any ideas?  It has a R18 pump, and it is all out of the car, just as I purchased it.  I'm hoping to get it back in soon.

It seems this may have been built up from a new block?  Someone stamped the proper car VIN number above the tag?  Would this be common practice by a dealer?

Ron

[Richard Madison]

The engine numer is on the engine block below the 5th and 6th spark plugs. May need a light to see down there. If original engine, the number will match the data card.

A replacement engine might have a different number.

"Teil" in German means "Part"

Richard M, NYC

[waqas]

Interesting... if it was the reverse (riveted tag matches datacard and block stamp is off), then I would've guessed the engine was replaced and the original riveted tag was reused.

In your case, the block stamp matches the datacard, and the riveted tag is off. I've never heard of a replacement engine with the block stamped with the original engine number. Is it possible that a replacement engine was ordered but the old block was reused? (and for whatever reason the engine tag was replaced with the one from the replacement block). I just don't see why they would do that...

Perhaps the tag was lost somehow, and the previous owner found a replacement tag (all else being original).

[Ron]

I have a few more clues.  I've come across a 1967 dealer's parts book, and it shows the number:

1270104100

as the engine block.  I don't remember if this is the entire short block, long block or just block.  Regardless, there's a reference that that number has been replaced by another number.  So in 1967, I'm guessing, my block was no longer offered by M-B and that number was invalid. 

My car is a 1966, built in Feb. of that year.  So my present theory is that it had some sort of early block/engine issue, and this replacement block was installed before the 1967 parts book was published.  The VIN number for the CAR was stamped in the block above the riveted tag when the swap was done.  The engine number from the data card is not on the block anywhere.  Because the engine number for the car is stamped on the block, I'm thinking this repair was done by a dealer, or some factory shop.  The car was originally delivered in Munich.

Does this sound plausible?

Ron

[glenn]

Replacement engines came with no stamped number?

[Klaus]

Ron,
it sounds plausible. The person who rebuilt the engine was partially familiar with Mercedes' practices, as the (handpainted) suffix "80" identifies rebuilt parts. On the other hand, the person should also have known that there is never a VIN on the engine.

[Eminent]

Replacement engines came with no stamped number?

That was my question also. Was. Because after cleaning the surface the number became readable.

[Cees Klumper]

Replacement engines came without engine number stamped in, but with a metal tag with the part number. Then common practice at the dealer was to stamp in the original engine number as per the data card; however, this was not always done. I have three or four replacement engines without any engine number stamped in, they just have the metal riveted tag, with different texts (one is actually from the UK, one has 'Tausch Aggregat' on the plate which means 'replacement engine').

In your case, stamping in the VIN number was close, but no sigar as Klaus pointed out, because the VIN number has nothing to do with the engine number. So it's safe to conclude that you have a replacement engine with an erroneous number in it. I happen to think that is a nice touch, part of the car's history that makes it 'different'.