Datsun Roadster Forum-311s.org

U20 engine numbers

SRL 00057 engine #00272
SRL 00429 engine #00788
SRL 00440 engine #00763
SRL 00457 engine #00692
SRL 00692 engine #01542
SRL 01008 early 68 engine #01544

Arnold

Almost sounds like we need a picture of the assembly room! I'm imagining a whole bunch of completed U20s on stands being rolled around, mixed up, out of chronological position, and workers just taking what's there and installing as they come. It's really the head that makes the difference (smog vs non-smog). The blocks are the same, but which head was installed was destination determined, right? Do the later Canadian/australian/JDM '68s have smog pump ports?

Greg all Canadian SRL cars have none smog heads originally.
Arnold

Looks like my spare block is U-01528 and would be out of a 67.5
I am willing to re-unite to the original car if there is a match.

that's an early 68 or a late 67.5 2000. Who knows what they did at the factory.

Ross
sports imports

Grant:
That's close to the one that used to be in SRL311-00690..... what do you need?

Ross

I was just on Datsun.org site and read the RIP section:

SRL311-00967 01852 1998 (year wrecked or crushed)

Have a complete U20 with low # 476 probably out of a 67.5 car in the 200 range.
Arnold

[quote="sports imports"]I was just on Datsun.org site and read the RIP section:

SRL311-00967 01852 1998 (year wrecked or crushed)[/quote]


Didn't even think to look at that one. So, there are 68's with lower engine numbers than some. 67.5's.....

Is it just me or does it seem like there are more cars in the in the 400's than any other group?

SRL 00489 engine #00910
SRL 00003 engine #00104

It would also be interesting to see if there are any engines with a lower number than 104?

Jon

Good question Jon> What happened to the first 100 engine blocks or did they start numbering at 101. MG used to start numbering at 251 because that was the phone number of the factory where they were made. There seems to be no real system used. Take Arnold's late 67 00692 and early 68 1008 with 2 engines apart.

Ross
sports imports

Wondering...Maybe the missing blocks were in the RHD cars (without Engine Numbers stamped)?

sports imports wrote:Good question Jon> What happened to the first 100 engine blocks or did they start numbering at 101. MG used to start numbering at 251 because that was the phone number of the factory where they were made. There seems to be no real system used. Take Arnold's late 67 00692 and early 68 1008 with 2 engines apart.

Ross
sports imports

A little speculation on Nissan 1960s era manufacturing.

A couple factory processes could explain the difference between frame and block numbers:

1) Blocks were probably stamped after passing block quality assurance tests and inspections, but not as assembled and tested engines.
2) Most probably, engines were batch produced separately from the assembly facility with no intention of number synchronization. Typical assembly practice was probably based on a FIFO queue of ready engines at the engine insertion point.
3) Engine #s disappear for several reasons. Failure at startup resulting in damage to the block. Engines being redirected to other ends, i.e. in-house testing or maybe to racing team spares.
4) Engine #s grossly different from frame # probably resulted from rework or component out of tolerance delay.

Nissan production anomalies of the 1960s are difficult to imagine today given the current success strategy is based on the reduction of human intervention of almost all critical processes from design, to manufacturing, and soon to operation with development of autonomous vehicles.

I think the numbering inconsistencies are in a large part, a reflection of the difficulties Nissan experienced when introducing a new engine design to vehicle mid-production during a period of rapid expansion and growth.

Whoa, we've got an engine # column in the 67.5 2000 registry page now! Thanks

Yeah, I am working on it. Problem is-many are missing. Will take me a while to add that to the entire registry.

Steve