The goal for this research project: Decode the mysterious white stamped numbers found on the cooling tin of 914/4 engines. We want to know what meaning, if any, can be inferred by collating as many of these numbers and data about the cars carrying them. What can you do to help? Visit the project page and find out:

http://www.type4.org/technology/engine_markings_html

This is possibly the first time both the VW 411/412 and the Porsche 914 communities can come together to combine their knowledge!

Jeff Bowlsby has pictures of some of the markings on his site, look under GROUP E – ENGINE & TRANSAXLE.

http://members.rennlist.com/914_collectibles/PLM.htm

We need far more information if we are to make any sense out of these markings.

Dave

come on, I know some of you guys have digital cameras...

Jens,
Here you are, hope this can help. This is on the engine sheetmetal, directly behind the driver. Car is an original 1970/4, build date 01/70.

Jens,
Off topic, I notice that you're from Oldenburg. Is that the Oldenburg that is near Osnabruck? My father came to the US from a small village near Oldenburg many years ago, and apparently I have relatives living in the area.

Yes, I live in what's fully called "Oldenburg in Oldenburg" or "Oldenburg (Oldb)", to denote that it is the city of Oldenburg in the former state of Oldenburg - which stretched even beyond Osnabrück to the south. Osnabrück is about 1 hr by car from me.

Jens,
Have you ever heard of a small village with the name of "Narberhausen"?

I don't, and that's because it's near Osnabrück, not near Oldenburg. Had to look it up using the Awesome Power Of The Internet

Jens,
I've turned up two Volkswagen dealer parts "Vehicle Data" books from the mid-70s. Even though these books pertain to VWs only, it is interesting to look at the various codes listed on some of the accompanying texts to see that possibly the stamped #s on our engine tin may reference a "unit" number or possibly sales code. I find it intriguing that the VW 411/412 numbers are all around my 022.6 stamp on my '70/4. Those VW numbers are, of course, pertainent only to VW models. My # doesn't show because it went into a non-VW model.

Some of the other numbers that show in the text I believe have appeared on other owners 914 sheetmetal.

I'm sorry for the quality of these pictures, but the pages were very yellow and brittle, and reproducing them to post here took many attempts.

Paul

.....middle and bottom of first page....

....another page from the data book.....

....last two.....

M-codes are the first thing that comes to my mind.

I think the first part of that number stands for that style of engine (022). I'll have the air cleaner off my '76 2.0 in a few days and wonder if I'll find numbers starting with "039".

These numbers denote the engine build configuration and the internal spec of the engine.

When they were built, they needed to be able to quickly identify the engine and make sure they did not put a 1.7 into a car that was destined to be a 2.0 liter. Or a 2.0 motor into a 411 VW, since the air cleaner set up was totally different.

These numbers let us know that we have a particular type of sheet metal on this engine.

I asked this question when I was in Stuttgart, and I believe this was the answer I received.



Erik