gt6 MK3 engine ID

[euan douglas]

I know there are posts elsewhere on this but all quite a long time ago so  -  I wonder if anyone can enlighten me on how to id my engine.  I know the prefix KE is a Mk 3 gt6 but am wondering how to find out if the engine is original and if it has domed pistons.

 

The engine number on the block is KE1444HE so is this an original engine (car is non-roto and built late 1972) or likely to be a replacement?  I have no paperwork with the car to suggest it is anything other than original.

 

Any thoughts are welcome.

 

Euan

[dougbgt6]

KE1 is 1972, HE high compression. The engine series is KE1 mean KE10000 series. I have heard they didn't sometimes put all the numbers in, so yours could actually be KE10444HE.

 

More confusingly I thought non-rotoflex, was February 73 so the engine number should start KE2 for that year. For a February 73 you should also have Sundim glass, (partial) cloth seats and a servo fitted as standard.

,

You could also apply for a heritage certificate which will cost you £42 but will tell all.

 

http://www.heritage-motor-centre.co.uk/store/heritage-certificates-and-archive-services/heritage-certificates/car-traced-with-chassis-number.html

[euan douglas]

Thanks for that.  It is an early non-roto, built Oct 1972 and registered around Feb 1973, commission number KE20290.  Vinyl seats, no servo and some Sundym glass, a later replacement I suspect.  I do have a Heritage Certificate which came with the car and gives an engine no KE20006HE, so all a bit confusing!

[KevinR]

With a commission number of KE 20290, I would expect to find the engine number was fairly near in value.

 

The Heritage Certificate gives the info for the car when it was built and left the factory, so the original engine number was KE20006HE as shown on the Heritage certificate - which is near in value to the commission number.

 

The current engine, KE1444HE, is a very early MK3 GT6 engine, and is most certainly not the original engine for the car.

 

Triumph usually omitted any LEADING zeros from the commission number and engine number (and any other number on the car), but it would be very unusual to be missing digits within the number itself.

 

As built, the current engine would not have had domed pistons, but as the car is more than 43 years old, it is possible that the innards of the engine have been changed and an different head fitted.

The only way to be sure is to have a look - probably easiest to pull out a spark plug and look in with a bore scope.

[dougbgt6]

 Kevin, I agree with you about the engine.  KE10,001 series would be 1972, KE1444 could be 1971 although I have heard of the leading zeros being dropped on 1972s. KE2 would be 1973.

 

What is still puzzling is that a GT6 built in 1972 is  non rotoflex and has 1973 KE2 identifiers.

 

The engine number KE20006 would be VERY early in the series, I wonder if they did produce some early? The car could be very rare if so.

[euan douglas]

Very interesting.  So the engine must have been replaced at some stage tho' I have no invoices to show that, although there was a crank regrind way back in the 90s so maybe then  -  who knows.  As for rare  --  might push up the value!

Thanks for the input.

Euan

[KevinR]

KE2 would be 1973.

 

 

No, KE2(HE) would have been 1971, as all the leading zeros would have been dropped - it would be the 2nd production engine ever built for the GT6 MK3.

 

KE20000HE would be a 1972 engine - its the leading zeros that are dropped, not the trailing zeros.

 

I have an old MKIV Spitfire engine at home, and if I remember correctly, it is a single digit FH (HE) engine, and it dates from 1970 when the Spit MKIV was first built.

[dougbgt6]

Kevin what I meant was, and what I think is obvious I meant was, KE2 SERIES ie KE20001 onwards. I also said the zeros after the first 1, ie the leading zeros, just  as you suggest. Yes KE2 would have been the second one ever made.

 

The pre 1972 numbering system didn't reach 10000 so in 1972 they restarted at KE10001HE and in 1973 KE20001HE

 

I don't think  K20000HE is 1972  or  a valid engine number from any year Please explain how it is?

[KevinR]

Two conflicting sources of information - both of which are normally correct - but one obviously isn't in this instance. One says KE20000 and the other says KE20001.

 

There doesn't appear to be an overtly documented connection between the change in engine number sequence and car commission number sequence, so it's possible that some of the early KE20xxx engines got into very late KE1xxxx cars and vice versa depending on what rework was going on at the end of the line.

 

The swing spring was introduced at commission number KE20001, which went on sale in late Feb 1973, but I cant find any evidence that the engine numbers jumped at exactly the same time.

[dougbgt6]

Yes, that sounds reasonable. My car was manufactured in Feb 73, engine number 1213 greater than the commission number and that's correct on the heritage certificate. Quite a long way apart, so I'm guessing the engines changed to KE20001HE from Jan 73 and the commission numbers from February 73. Probably wrong!