2009 Corvette engine replacement and matching numbers.

[Tom H.]

Hey all !

Here's a couple of photos I snapped for you numbers guys this morning. This is a car that was involved the newest service bulletin that requires replacement of the complete 2009 engine assembly in a very small number of 2009 Corvettes. ( Possible oil consumption issue. )

The question always comes up from the numbers guys................... I won't have matching numbers. Well, you will........ but.

There is a difference in the numbers. I've posted two shots here for you all to see. The first shot is from the factory installed engine in Corvette VIN # 8419. Notice the "engraved" style on the numbers. The lower shot is of the replacement engine for the same car. Notice the replacement has the correct vehicle ID, but the characters are "stamped" in a more traditional style like we see on the early Corvettes.

Just an observation I made and wanted to share with you all !!

Now that we've seen how GM has addressed the issue, it will be interesting to see how these cars will be judged in the future.

[Stuart F.]

Re: 2009 Corvette engine replacement and matching numbers.

Tom;

Send me an E-Mail update on this to my address in He-----(you fill in the blanks).

Stu Fox

[George C.]

Re: 2009 Corvette engine replacement and matching numbers.

Great Pic's Tom. Thanks for the info. Save the Wave.>George

[Wayne K.]

Re: 2009 Corvette engine replacement and matching numbers.

Tom;

Send me an E-Mail update on this to my address in He-----(you fill in the blanks).

Stu Fox

Helsinki

[Tom H.]

Re: 2009 Corvette engine replacement and matching numbers.

Helsinki

Now, that's funny !

[Terry M.]

Re: 2009 Corvette engine replacement and matching numbers.

Tom,
Thanks for posting.

We will be judging these long before the guys over on CF think we will -- and of course the guys over in St. Charles, Illinois, will be judging them in June. I'll take care of letting the appropriate people in that organization know about this. They are NCRS members too.

FWIW: Last year, when I was watching my 2008 being built, I had a discussion with one of the management folks at Bowling Green Assembly about their program to, where necessary, change engines on Z06 at the assembly plant. They were going to try to run the replacement engines through the "engraving" machine on the assembly line so that the numbers, if not the dates, would match. He wasn't sure they could "fool" the computer controls to allow them to do that, so I don't know if that detail came to pass.

[Joe L.]

Re: 2009 Corvette engine replacement and matching numbers.

Hey all !

Here's a couple of photos I snapped for you numbers guys this morning. This is a car that was involved the newest service bulletin that requires replacement of the complete 2009 engine assembly in a very small number of 2009 Corvettes. ( Possible oil consumption issue. )

The question always comes up from the numbers guys................... I won't have matching numbers. Well, you will........ but.

There is a difference in the numbers. I've posted two shots here for you all to see. The first shot is from the factory installed engine in Corvette VIN # 8419. Notice the "engraved" style on the numbers. The lower shot is of the replacement engine for the same car. Notice the replacement has the correct vehicle ID, but the characters are "stamped" in a more traditional style like we see on the early Corvettes.

Just an observation I made and wanted to share with you all !!

Now that we've seen how GM has addressed the issue, it will be interesting to see how these cars will be judged in the future.

Tom-----


My guess as far as future originality-based judged events (i.e. NCRS, NCCB) would be that it will be treated about the same as "CE" engines from the 60's. The fact is, it's not the original engine installed at the factory. Nothing can change that. In fact, the casting dates on the blocks and heads may well be later than the car was built and that will more-than-likely warrant another "hit".

I certainly appreciate the effort that GM is going through to see to it that the original numbers appear on the stamp pad which is a lot more than they did in the 60's (but, then, who even cared about such things?), but I don't see it getting around the fact that these are not the engine installed at the factory. Even if they were able to do a stamping that was EXACTLY the same as the original stamping, I think the casting "date" issue would likely reveal the block and heads as later than the car was built.

[David K.]

Re: 2009 Corvette engine replacement and matching numbers.

This opens a question I ALWAYS wondered about. Local to me, the dealers son received his at that time new '77. Within a week a water jacket in the block was faulty and the block failed. So under warranty, the engine was replaced. Now, the question is, the car is now and always "damaged goods" because of a faulty casting. Is there a legal recourse to this? Should there be one? If I was the owner and bought this car as a car to keep and treasure "till death do us part". I would forever be docked because of this casting change. How is that viewed? Of course documentation is present in this case. Just as the car, Tom Hendricks has shown.

[Edward M.]

Re: 2009 Corvette engine replacement and matching numbers.

Tom-----


My guess as far as future originality-based judged events (i.e. NCRS, NCCB) would be that it will be treated about the same as "CE" engines from the 60's. The fact is, it's not the original engine installed at the factory. Nothing can change that. In fact, the casting dates on the blocks and heads may well be later than the car was built and that will more-than-likely warrant another "hit".

I certainly appreciate the effort that GM is going through to see to it that the original numbers appear on the stamp pad which is a lot more than they did in the 60's (but, then, who even cared about such things?), but I don't see it getting around the fact that these are not the engine installed at the factory. Even if they were able to do a stamping that was EXACTLY the same as the original stamping, I think the casting "date" issue would likely reveal the block and heads as later than the car was built.

I wonder how much of that is GMs effort for the sake of goodness and how much is mandated by law. It may be that ANY major vehicle component installed by the manufacturer has to be identified with the VIN number.

[Terry M.]

Re: 2009 Corvette engine replacement and matching numbers.

Tom,
Was the new engine stamped at your dealership, or someplace else? It sure looks like all the numbers are in a holder -- not done individually.

[Tom H.]

Re: 2009 Corvette engine replacement and matching numbers.

Terry:

The engine was stamped when it arrived here.

[Terry M.]

Re: 2009 Corvette engine replacement and matching numbers.

Thanks for the info Tom. Even if Stu doesn't think he will be around for the judging of the 2009s -- I intend to be. I'm too ornery to give up yet.

Keep plugging away Stu.

[Tom H.]

Re: 2009 Corvette engine replacement and matching numbers.

Yeah, I bet Stu will be there too !

[Tom M.]

Re: 2009 Corvette engine replacement and matching numbers.

Tom,
Thanks for posting.

We will be judging these long before the guys over on CF think we will -- and of course the guys over in St. Charles, Illinois, will be judging them in June. I'll take care of letting the appropriate people in that organization know about this. They are NCRS members too.

FWIW: Last year, when I was watching my 2008 being built, I had a discussion with one of the management folks at Bowling Green Assembly about their program to, where necessary, change engines on Z06 at the assembly plant. They were going to try to run the replacement engines through the "engraving" machine on the assembly line so that the numbers, if not the dates, would match. He wasn't sure they could "fool" the computer controls to allow them to do that, so I don't know if that detail came to pass.

no broach marks , 38 pointer , when is the last year GM built engines in corvettes with that process ?

[John D.]

Re: 2009 Corvette engine replacement and matching numbers.

Joe,
As you know the top VIN was made with a pinstamp machine. When I worked in an assembly plant this company made the machine. http://www.telesis.com/pinstamp.htm

Don't know if they still use the same company.