Guide To Identifying Your Perkins Engine
Perkins diesels were some of the most widely used engines in the world. Since Frank Perkins began in 1916 – the same year Foley Engines was founded – these engines have been made in many different countries. Because these engines are configured differently for each application, even if they are the same model, it is very important to locate the correct engine numbers for the engine you are looking to repair or replace. Those numbers typically consist of a series of letters and numbers with segments of those numbers/letters providing different key information, akin to a car’s VIN. From this information we are able to obtain the engine family, build list (exact component part list original engine as designed for it’s specific application), they country where it was made, the serial number and the year it was built; all of which have implications on identifying the correct parts and/or engine specifications.
In this Foley Tech Tip we will show you where to find these important numbers and what they mean.
What Your Engine Number Looks Like
You are looking for a stamped-in letters/numbers on the engine block rather than raised casting numbers. We think of them in four sequential groups: Build List, Country, Serial Number, and Year. The first section or the “build list” is usually alphanumeric, beginning with two letters and then five digits, such as ED70058. Earlier engines (typically prior to 1978) used a simplified numbering system without the leading letters and sometimes were as simple as “108” (early 4.108 engines), but today we mostly see the two letter-5number style build list.
The next “group” is usually one or two letter that identifies the country of manufacture, again we often see “U” for the United Kingdom or “N” for the good old USA. The next group is the actual Serial Number which will be six numbers and finally the last group is a single letter at the end of the string that identifies the year the engine was originally manufactured. Depending on the location, engine age and the amount of grime, you many need a good light, a rag and some patience to find what you are looking as you can see in the picture below.
Below, we have included some charts to allow you to translate what the different possible letters mean.
Where To Find The Engine Numbers
Typically, all engines within a particular family/model will be stamped in the same area of the block. For example, 4.108 and 6.354 engines had serial numbers stamped in the casting on the block where the injection pump is mounted. The 4.236 and 4.248 engines usually had their numbers stamped into an area of the blocks behind the injection pump. The 3.152 and 4.203 series are often found stamped-in at the rear of the block above the bell housing.
The chart below is helpful in identifying the areas where a particular model’s serial number is located.
The information below will allow you to translate your engine Family (two letter at the beginning) into the engine Model number, the middle letter or two into the Country of manufacture and the last letter into the Year of manufacture:
If you want a different perspective, below are some videos that we pulled out of the archive that show you where to locate your engine numbers on a few different Perkins engines:
