Decoding the engine tag on the valve cover....

Is it really as easy as this?

On the white tag on the valve cover, it has the prod. date, year, and other info.... if the number above "year" is a 6, it's a '96, and if it's a 7 it's a '97?

I just bought a used engine and the guy says it came out of a '96, but the tag has a 7.

So, if the above is true, do any of you know of any changes between the '96 and '97 years that I should know before swapping this engine into my '96? I'm not seeing any obvious changes, but wonder if any sensors, throttle body stuff or ? is different.

Thanks in advance!

YELLAHEEP said:

Is it really as easy as this?

On the white tag on the valve cover, it has the prod. date, year, and other info.... if the number above "year" is a 6, it's a '96, and if it's a 7 it's a '97?

I just bought a used engine and the guy says it came out of a '96, but the tag has a 7.

So, if the above is true, do any of you know of any changes between the '96 and '97 years that I should know before swapping this engine into my '96? I'm not seeing any obvious changes, but wonder if any sensors, throttle body stuff or ? is different.

Thanks in advance!

Click to expand...

There's also a code stamped into the side of the engine - I think it's on a flat (machined) pad near the distributor. I'd trust that before I trusted the valve cover sticker.

However, I do not believe there were significant changes between 1996 and 1997. There were some changes from 1995 to 1996, but they were (relatively) minor, and mostly centred around NVH (Noise, Vibration, Harshness.) The biggest change on that span was the addition of the crankshaft bearing brace - there were also some minor revisions to the cylinder head (the exhaust ports were reduced slightly, I believe, to hasten "catalyst light-off," and the port for the temperature sensor was not machined anymore.)

YELLAHEEP said:

Is it really as easy as this?

On the white tag on the valve cover, it has the prod. date, year, and other info.... if the number above "year" is a 6, it's a '96, and if it's a 7 it's a '97?

I just bought a used engine and the guy says it came out of a '96, but the tag has a 7.

So, if the above is true, do any of you know of any changes between the '96 and '97 years that I should know before swapping this engine into my '96? I'm not seeing any obvious changes, but wonder if any sensors, throttle body stuff or ? is different.

Thanks in advance!

Click to expand...

It will never work.

Are you sure it didn't come out of the "evidence" room like your transmission?




(side note) use it as a long block, and save everything that came with it...just bolt up all of the goodies you have on yours replace all of the gaskets you'd rather not do later, and your good to go...