2500Saloon Posted May 21 Share Posted May 21 Hello - after a refurb of my 2.5 saloon replacement engine, the serial number on my engine block has become harder to read. E.g. the last letter now looks like an "F" whilst in fact it's an "E" and the first letter looks like a "1" instead of the correct "M" - so in each case, a small bar was shaved off by accident. Any suggestions on how to make it unambiguously readable again? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkB Posted May 21 Share Posted May 21 I think anyone really bothered in the future would deduce what you have. You could always grind down a small chisel to the exact size of the letters and very carefully hammer in the missing bits of the M & E. Think it would be hard to find letter punches of the correct size and typestyle. Fortunately in your case it's just straight lines that are missing. Personally I would leave it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescrapman Posted May 23 Share Posted May 23 Likewise, any attempt to “improve” the stamping may come across as something fraudulent in the future if anyone in a position of authority gets interested in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2500Saloon Posted May 24 Author Share Posted May 24 Many thanks for your insights and indeed, it's best to keep it as is. The good news is that given the specific font type used by Triumph and the structure of the serial numbers, there's no ambiguity of what the number is. E.g. no 2500 PI engine ends with a letter F. I contacted the TR Register to see if they can vouch for the number on that basis. Any other expert you know who could vouch for it based on a picture? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD Posted May 24 Share Posted May 24 (edited) Get a "Birth Certificate" from the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust: British Motor Museum | Heritage Certificates If this engine is the original, then the cert will list its number. Also, it should be on your V5. John Edited May 24 by JohnD 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2500Saloon Posted May 24 Author Share Posted May 24 Many thanks John - the only issue is that the engine comes from another car of which I don't know the VIN number, so I can't use order a certificate. Any other suggestions are welcome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wendy Dawes Posted May 24 Share Posted May 24 Just enjoy your car you know the engine number so does it really matter, as said any tampering will look more suspicious Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD Posted May 24 Share Posted May 24 If it's not the original engine, why are you so concerned about making sure of the number? There are well established techniques in Forensic Science for reading numbers that have been completely filed off. Guns, for instance. They are described online, but take care! They involve strong acids! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2500Saloon Posted May 24 Author Share Posted May 24 My V5 still mentions my old number and I need to rectify the record - hence why. I will stay well clear of acids! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD Posted May 24 Share Posted May 24 Is there ANY penalty for having the wrong engine number on Yr V5? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescrapman Posted May 26 Share Posted May 26 On 24/05/2024 at 19:15, JohnD said: Is there ANY penalty for having the wrong engine number on Yr V5? Only if you need to identify it for some reason. Post theft perhaps? just send log book off with new number, there is no reason to provide proof of source of engine (which is where I suspect you are coming from) as you have not noted the exemption for older vehicles from that requirement. the DVLA eventually appreciated that “classics” change engine regularly using spares stored in garages and sheds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dannyb Posted May 26 Share Posted May 26 Sent mine off 2 months ago with the new engine number. Still waiting for the new logbook. Danny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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