Strange engine number on Spit 1500

[Larry Mac]

I have a tag on the top rear of my 1977 Spitfire 1500 engine.  It reads :     RTC2459R00822T  and below it is : FBB  052

There is NO engine number in usual place.

does anyone know what this is ?

[KevinR]

RTC2459 is the original part number of a short block, R means that it has been overhauled.

[Larry Mac]

Thanks Kevin .... any idea what the FBB 052 means.  ?

 

[johny]

Wonder if thats the code of where the overhaul was done...

[Larry Mac]

Thanks Johny,   so the actual engine number is still a mystery ?

Unless I trace it back some how to the original reg which I think was YUD 394 R  which was scraped some years ago I believe. 

[Josef]

I’d guess based on Kevin’s info that this means the block was overhauled, but the engine was not built up by Triumph/Leyland/Rover. So it was never stamped with a new engine number, but the block was somehow sold as a spare part.

[johny]

Believe buying a heritage certificate would have that info...

[thescrapman]

2 hours ago, Larry Mac said:

Thanks Kevin .... any idea what the FBB 052 means.  ?

 

That well be the engine number.

not sure what sequence they used by the time they got to the 1500’s

[Larry Mac]

Im getting concerned .... maybe I should register the FBB 052 as the engine number OR the whoe thing starting with RTC2459R00822T.

Whats advisable can I loose anything by registering the full number   ?

 

[Josef]

http://www.team.net/www/triumph/trprefix.html
https://www.teglerizer.com/triumphstuff/spit_and_gt6_specs.htm

None of those are a ‘normal’ Triumph engine number (see the info in the links above). But I would not worry. Most likely the DVLA will not care in the slightest what Triumph did or did not use as engine numbers. They ignored my attempt at correcting the 0 to an O on my Spitfire’s commission number… The paperwork only needs to show a unique ID, which yours is for sure.

[Larry Mac]

Cheers ....  should mention that the engine is well balanced and loads of poke.  I am assuming it is a Spitfire engine .  53,000 miles and all cylinders  read the same high compression. Ive had it for 11 years 

Thanks for your input. ☺👍

[Colin Lindsay]

Firstly, it's not unique - I've seen others with that kind of number, same sequence and codes. This one was debated on the Club Triumph website quite a few years ago now.

This one reads RTC2459R 00608T and underneath ADH214. I'd say that the RTC number is the engine number now.

I thought the RTC code rang a bell from later British Leyland / Unipart stuff and it's possible this was a late factory-reconditioned engine, but post Gold-Seal days.

[Larry Mac]

Thanks Colin,  so basically I can regard the ' RTC2459R00822T '  as THE engine number. ?

The remaining FBB 052 as the engineers code.  ?

Is there any way I can find out when this was rebuilt  ?

Cheers

[Colin Lindsay]

I'd guess the RTC2549R is the engine number, maybe R for reconditioned? Adding the other bit seems to make it to long compared with the numbers I'm familiar with. Anyone else reckon anything?

[johny]

Longer the number more possibility of DVLA getting wrong as and it wouldnt be the first time!

[Larry Mac]

Using RTC2459R  without 00822T would be pointless.

I'd need to use complete from R to T otherwise there would be many cars with RTC2459R.

OR  I use ' FBB 052'  as my unique engine number

Which one should I use. ?

[KevinR]

27 minutes ago, Larry Mac said:

Using RTC2459R  without 00822T would be pointless.

I'd need to use complete from R to T otherwise there would be many cars with RTC2459R.

OR  I use ' FBB 052'  as my unique engine number

Which one should I use. ?

The DVLA don't really care what the engine number is, so long as there is one and its stated on the log book.

You could always get a set of number stamps and make up your own number and stamp it on the block in the traditional place.

 

[Larry Mac]

As the plate on the engine is already there I will use FBB 052.  as the engine No.

 

any  objections or would that cause a problem.  ???

 

[johny]

Really dont think its important as its the chassis number thats used for MOT. Also its not the original engine so no worry about matching numbers for originality....

[Gully]

I would have thought it made far more sense to use the top long identifier as opposed to the lower, shorter code. I suspect the latter relates to who completed the work, so is unlikely to be unique, whereas the longer number certainly should be.

Gully

[Larry Mac]

Thanks to everyone for their input !

I have decided to use the LONG number RTC2459R00822T as this makes the most sense.

THANKS FOR THE EDUCATION 😊