engine code myth?

[playswithspanners]

I was wondering if there is any truth that the prefix (first 3 numbers, letters) of the block number indicates capacity?. I have this eh but i think that someone has put a 202red in it. M210858 is the engine block number. It is my mates car, the bloke he got it off said there was a 179 high compression. Im posting in vb-vk cuz thats where 202red had its start? have i been fed bull?haha. Also i pulled out 5bpes ngk plugs, and thats 202 plug. Definately not high compression cuz heat range would have to be colder.

I want to find out what size the motor is? it had 202 plugs, glass cased fuel pump, just looks like one too haha and the engine code? help

[Reaper]

I was wondering if there is any truth that the prefix (first 3 numbers, letters) of the block number indicates capacity?. I have this eh but i think that someone has put a 202red in it. M210858 is the engine block number. It is my mates car, the bloke he got it off said there was a 179 high compression. Im posting in vb-vk cuz thats where 202red had its start? have i been fed bull?haha. Also i pulled out 5bpes ngk plugs, and thats 202 plug. Definately not high compression cuz heat range would have to be colder.

I want to find out what size the motor is? it had 202 plugs, glass cased fuel pump, just looks like one too haha and the engine code? help

In a matter of speaking it does. The first 2 letters in a "Holden" engine designate what type of engine it is. Such as a "VK" motor is a Holden 5 litre block that came out on the VNSS Group A Commodores, VP GTS and VP Clubsport 5000i modles. They had 4 bolt main blocks fitted amongst many other changes. A "QT" motor was a 308 motor from April 1978 - ??? (can't remember).

Check here: http://users.mrbean.net.au/~rover/choosing.htm for a list of most 6 cyl Holden red motors.

Reaper

[88GreenVN]

Here is some basic engine number info.

EH Y 1963 1965 95 70.7 149 RED
EH H 1963 1965 100 74.5 149 RED H68251 H153573
EH M 179 RED
HD M 1965 1966 115 85.6 179 RED M10352 M228535 -
HD 149E 1965 1966 95 70.7 149 RED
HD 149D 1965 1966 100 74.5 149 RED
HD 179F 1965 1966 115 85.6 179 RED 179F13700 179F67772
HR 179X 1966 1968 140 104.3 179 RED 179X2 HD X2

[commsirac]

I was wondering if there is any truth that the prefix (first 3 numbers, letters) of the block number indicates capacity?. I have this eh but i think that someone has put a 202red in it. M210858 is the engine block number. It is my mates car, the bloke he got it off said there was a 179 high compression. Im posting in vb-vk cuz thats where 202red had its start? have i been fed bull?haha. Also i pulled out 5bpes ngk plugs, and thats 202 plug. Definately not high compression cuz heat range would have to be colder.

I want to find out what size the motor is? it had 202 plugs, glass cased fuel pump, just looks like one too haha and the engine code? help

As you can see from the link supplied by reaper M prefix is a 179.

The 173s and 202s never had numbers with 173 or 202 in them.

The 202 had its start in the HQ, about six years before the VB.

bp5es is not a spark plug for a 202, its for a 179....the e represents extended reach, (put that in a 202 and it would hole a piston) correct plug is a 5bp5fs that is the same for 173 or 202
Not the right heat range?, the 179 was no more high compression than a stock 202 of the 70s, same range plug.

Its a fair bet you have a 179!

nb: most cars in the the early 60s ran on standard fuel, super was used for higher compression motors which were only up around 9:1.
In the 70s just about all cars ran higher compression and ran on super, the low compression offerings of the 173 and 202 were basically for export only.

[202injected]

in a nut shell, it is only the First one or two letters that indicate the origin of a holden engine pre LS1

before the hq there was only one letter giving the eninge typefrom HQ on the added a number to the begining to indicate which model the engine came from the following numbers are on a serial. prior to the red motor the grey motor was designated "B"

prefix "Q" means the engine is from a HQ-HZ ot LH/lx torana eg, Ql******* means the engine is a red 202 from these models

prefix "V" means it was from a commdore eg "VL" means 202 red or blue/black carby, "VH" mean Ecotec V6

Prefix "W" is from the the WB range but prefix "WQ" is from an early statesman HQ-WB, the best you could get in those day save for the L34

at least this is how the information is recorded at HM Gem/AC Delco engines

later engines like the Aloytec and LS series do not follow this coding system, and dont think the L67 does either

if your engine in numbered "m*********" this means the engine is a 179 high comp built prior to HQ, you will probably find the engine is out of a LC GTR or a HT monaro

[burnz]

why don't ppl look at the side of the block ????

[commsirac]

you will probably find the engine is out of a LC GTR or a HT monaro

neither of which came with a 179, the 179 ceasing production with the HD(1965 model). did you read http://users.mrbean.net.au/~rover/choosing.htm??
Further to that, the info for torana engines is not in that linke and they had different codes, though basically being the same engines. For example an automatic 173 LX was XHD, see http://holdenpaedia.oldholden.com/To...ngine_Prefixes

why don't ppl look at the side of the block ????

That puzzled me too, my reaction was they must not have put the numbers on the sides of the 179s(or maybe it is there and playwithspanners thought this was part of the disguise)......been a while since Ive looked at one.

The number is stamped on the block about level with the bottom of the exhaust manifold on the 202s and 173s, and guessing now, but they changed them to metric 3.3 and 2.8 about the time of the vb.

[playswithspanners]

I wasn't expecting such clear feedback! good forum.

The number is stamped on the block about level with the bottom of the exhaust manifold on the 202s and 173s, and guessing now, but they changed them to metric 3.3 and 2.8 about the time of the vb.

Will do to confirm but the below and that engine guide already assures me its a 179.

Questions.

if your engine in numbered "m*********" this means the engine is a 179 high comp built prior to HQ

I went n bought bp5es plugs, how do i tell if its high compression head on it? i did a compression test. Result 120 psi across the 6 of em' and thats what you get on a 202. So i believe its normal compression unless the rings are perfectly worn. ha.

So am i right in saying it is a stock compression 179. And the plugs are the correct plugs for my motor? Confirmation is a wonderful thing.

[commsirac]

I went n bought bp5es plugs, how do i tell if its high compression head on it? i did a compression test. Result 120 psi across the 6 of em' and thats what you get on a 202. So i believe its normal compression unless the rings are perfectly worn. ha.

So am i right in saying it is a stock compression 179. And the plugs are the correct plugs for my motor? Confirmation is a wonderful thing.

As stated previously, what you are referring to as high compression on the 179 is only a compression ratio of 8:8. According to the link(and what I remember), the 179 never came out in low compression form , just the 149 which had a ratio of 7.7:1. Possibly the situation is confused with the higher performance edition of the 179 that ended up in the HD holden that had a higher performance carby and manifolds.


The 202 had a compression ratio of 9.2:1, which will make it test about the same as the 179. Of course there could have been some mods done on the motor, either shaving the block, crowned pistons etc or putting a cylinder head from a smaller motor on it,(possibly the 149) but not sure what is possible with the 179, would have to check the bore and strokes on the two motors. It would appear that you have a stock 179 in its manufactured form with the higher compression ratio of 8.8:1.

A compression test can only give you a rough idea of compression ratio, but given the 120psi you have measured it is in the ball park for a 8.8:1 ratio.
The only way to measure it accurately is to actually measure the vol of the combustion chamber and compare the measurements betmin and max measurements. This can be done with fluid without removing the heads if you know what you are doing, but best left to those that do.

[Nos_VQ]

High or low compression is denoted by a casting on the head of H or L on the intake/exhaust side of head towards the back.

Some 179 motors only had HP cast on the side of the block and not 179.

Old thread but thought i would throw that in.

[MR-POIDA]

fact ANY BLOCK RED MOTOR BLOCK WITH M ON THE SERIAL NO IS A 179 HP OUT OF AN EH ONLY. AND THEY DID ORIGINAL HAVE HP CAST
ON THE SIDE OF THE BLOCK. but some people ground it off for reason. and all standard 179 blocks had 179 cast on the side of the block original. but the 179 block only came out in the HD holden and either had 179F (standard) or 179X (x2 motor) as the serial no other 179 engines were ever made. the hp motors were only fitted to EH's nothing else. it was also only the EH that did not have the engine size on the serial pre hq. and there wer no low comp 179s ever built if it has a low comp head on it its not the original head. the only motors im aware of the did not have a engine size cast on the block was the 2 149 engines in the EH

[ari666]

thats cool.... welcome to JC. just for the record, this thread has been dead for nearly a year now.