IVA woes

[kitcrazy]

As my engine is not the original does antone know how to find the age of an engine from the engine number alone. I need to prove the age of the engine to keep the IVA boys happy

Cheers for any advice

KC

[sspogman]

Hi KC,

I would think it best to ask on one of the MX5 forums, you may find someone on there with direct access to the Mazda dealership database.

Also, I thought I read a while back that there are no engine numbers on MX5 engines, presumably this could mean that the engine did indeed come from the donor.....

[Deleted]

I had a similar issues as I think Mazda dont (or certainly didn't on the early MK1 imports) put the engine number on the block. I also threw/scrapped the vin plates, but as I had V5c documents and pictures to prove I had the car in various stages he was able to look the details up and take the engine details from the V5c and online.
hope this helps

[kitcrazy]

There is an engine number on the block, and sadly the IVA man found it.... its on flange at the rear passenger side of the engine on the 1.8.
It is just a stamp and needs to be rubbed with emery paper to show up.

my problem is that the engine in there is none original and i have no way of getting the reg or chassis numebr of the car it came from.

An mx5 forum said that there is a number to call at mazda HQ and for 40 quid they will send you details of the engine using the engine number but when i called them they said no way, need the reg!

Will try emailing DVLA, phoning them ends in death by menu systems, but am starting to get a bit worried by this now.
Does anyone know exactly what written proof is required by VOSA

[Deleted]

I can't see there would ba a massive issue with the actual engine being different. I guess the issue is with proving it's age etc. after all, many kits are built with crated engines and rebuilt engines. Mine defo didn't have a number, but I think the new donor I have does. My IVA man managed to find car details on the system for the engine number listed on my V5C so surely the IVA man could do it for you too.

[kitcrazy]

i'll give him a call and see what he says about that.

Cheers

[Deleted]

do you know the registration the donor engine came from, that would be all thats required its to prove age for emissions and things i think?
once they tipe the registration into their database it would bring all the details up and hopefully a matching engine number.

[Deleted]

oops, just realised you said you didnt have the reg.
I'm sure a mazda dealership should be able to find it from the engine number, but expect to pay a few quid for the privilage!

[malcolmmazda]

Sept 26, 2011 19:46:52 GMT kitcrazy said:

There is an engine number on the block, and sadly the IVA man found it.... its on flange at the rear passenger side of the engine on the 1.8.
It is just a stamp and needs to be rubbed with emery paper to show up.

my problem is that the engine in there is none original and i have no way of getting the reg or chassis number of the car it came from.

An mx5 forum said that there is a number to call at Mazda HQ and for 40 quid they will send you details of the engine using the engine number but when i called them they said no way, need the reg

I have 2 suggestions:-

1) Find Roadster Robbie on the MX5OC forum and ask him very nicely to check at work (he is the clubs technical coordinator and also works at EMG Mazda in Cambridge)

2) some of the CD Roms of service/parts manuals selling on ebay for the mx5 allow searching by chassis no at least so i guess they may also do engine no.s too?

Cheers,

[kitcrazy]

Thanks Malcolm, i'll give both of those suggestions a try

[kitcrazy]

Well the long and short of it is that i'm stuffed.....

Mazda do not keep records of engine numbers as they are not a permanent part of the car and apparently they have duplicted them in the past anyway.

And some snotty woman at VOSA was adamant that the car won't pass without some written proof of the engine age, not sure what passes for written proof, anyone able to enlighten me?

So i'm caught in the middle of bum brained bureaucracy and there seems to be nothing i can do about it, its so infuriating as the car is otherwise ready for its retest.

My only other option is to rebuild the old engine that i took out and fortunatley still have which was the original. This engine is pretty badly buggered though as someone had previously taken the head off and let water get into the cylinders causing them to rust and seize. I have managed to strip it down though.

Does anyone have any idea of what the cost of an engine block rebuild, doing it myself that is, and if there are any good places close to Reading where i can get rebores etc.

Cheers for any thoughts on this one

KC

[scottie999]

Wouldnt you be easier to befriend/get/make a receipt from a scrapyard or engine supplier for an engine from whatever age car you need. When we regd the rockets we only had an invoice for the brand new engines we used. We had to stamp them ourselves as they came with no numbers from the manufacturer. All we were required to submit was the casting numbers, bhp, and the aforesaid stamped number. The new engines we have for the next ones came with a certificate of newness. This only has the same details on as we gave them the first time really. You dont want to cause too much stirring in the dvla/vosa water, they may remember you ;D

[sspogman]

How would Team VOSA know that the engine in your Exocet when you go for your test isn't the original engine from the donor? Can't you just tell them that it is.......?

[kitcrazy]

i wish it was that easy.

The engine number on the block is different from the one on the V5 form which is what they check when looking for written proof regarding the engine age

[scottie999]

Why dont you just notify dvla of a change of engine in your donor on the v5 and then use the details of that, could save a lot of unecessary worrying.