engine number

Been lurking awhile. My, new to me, 74 is finally about to be put back together again. The engine number tag is not attached to the block anymore. The rivets? are there but the tag is long gone. Is there any other place on the car to find that number?
Thanks, Paul

You're SOL unless you have any original maintenance papers with the car stating the engine number.

You could get a Heritage Certificate which are around $60. I'm not sure if they include the engine number though, but someone will correct me soon!

If the tag is gone most likely the block has been hot tanked in a caustic solution that dissolved the tag. That probably means the block was bored and rebuilt at some time before. It may not be the original block at all. The timing covers were different on the early 18V engines. If your timing pointers are at the 10 or 11 o clock position then the engine probably is the original. If they are at the 6 o clock position then the engine is older.
If you want to know what the engine # that came with the car and all the rest of the car's details when it was new, apply for a Heritage Certificate. It costs some money and this is where: http://www.mgcars.org.uk/namgar/bmiht/bmiht.htm

Do they reveal the engine number that was originally put into the car?

Brian

Yes to what Daniel said. You can get a new one made.

New tags and rivets available from Clarke Restorations & Spares. You'll need the number from the heritage certificate, however.

Say Paul, what is the address or tel# of C/R & Spares? My engine tag got 'chewed up' being taken off before tanking the block. I still have the original but would like to get another stamped corrrectly and put back on. Thanks.
Jim B.

Paul welcome to the MG Experience. You'll find these folks have a thousand years of MGB Experience and are most willing to help.

Now some pictures of your 74---okay :)

Here is the link to Clarke S&R, I am also going to ask for mine. Just got my Heritage Certificate confirming everything is as it went out of the factory.

http://www.clarkespares.com/carparts.html

See this thread on HC's:

http://www.mgexperience.net/phorum/read.php?1,413773,413773#msg-413773

And there is a new thread on HC's

JAime

Thanks everybody. I discovered that the number was gone after the engine was already out and partially disassembled. It had 85000 very very hard miles on it. The number 3 cyl exhaust lobe on the cam was basically flat [hope I explained that right], 2 of the cyl walls were too bad to be honed so we are boring out to +1, the crankshaft needed to be reground and oversize bearings refit, oil pump was gummy, and the head was trashed. The distributor, carbs, water pump all seem to be ok.
Anyway, looks like I'll be checking into the heritage cert.
Paul