What engine is this? No numbers.

[John Wurner]

Trying to ID this engine, only number is a casting number, 590.
Input appreciated.
John

[Phil Planck]

Looks like a S90 to me, with the Solex carbs and non vented air filter, along with the fan shroud color. No numbers at the generator base? No grind marks there?

[John Wurner]

There are no grind marks nor other numbers on any of the pieces. I figured someone can tell what it is by looking at the pics, which I cant do.
Thanks, John

[Jan Kolm]

It's a factory replacement case. It will have only the 2 or 3-digit matching numbers on the three pieces. A similar short block, with a replacement case having 1964 date stamps, was disassembled at Jim Kellogg's Pastries and Porsches event last year.

[Barry Brisco]

I thought the factory replacement cases had a number that started with a "K"?

Why would the factory make an unnumbered case?

[Sterling Vaden]

The K numbered engines were rebuilt at the factory. If you just bought a new replacement case, it came without a number.

SV

[Barry Brisco]

Okay, thanks Sterling. I'm always learning something on 356Talk! Problem is remembering it...

Best regards,

[Tom Tate]

Just looking at the photo I see two things that raise questions. First off the air cleaners have the holes in them that would indicate they came from an SC not at S90 and second the fan shroud has no indent for the valve adjustment sticker. I thought the flat shrouds only showed up on a handful of '59 engines. Comments?
Looking again I see that the rear bolts that fasten the generator stand aren't bolts at all but studs with nuts in place. Never saw that before, ever. Maybe I should stop looking. KTF

[Vic Skirmants]

Rear studs for generator stand up through about 1960.

[Bruce Baker]

I thought the factory replacement cases had a number that started with a "K"?

That's for 'Karnak (the Magnificent),' the only one who could tell the answer to the original question from a picture.

The Factory rebuilds had a 'KD,' I believe the acronym for Kunden Dienst (or customer service).

Otherwise, in this case it's "Yep, there's a 356-ish engine there alright..."

[Sterling Vaden]

I was under the impression that the lack of indentation in the fan shroud was characteristic of all of the 356A's.

[roy mawbey]

I thought also that all fan shrouds before the "B" were flat. My 59 "A" is flat.

Roy
RHD356A super75 106954

[Chris Ralston]

Coming in to this topic a little late, but...the 3rd piece on my engine (P72406) in my coupe (105937) also has the number "590" on it. The other two case halves have the same "590" number on them (as should be).

Here are photos of the two numbers;

Comments????

[Sterling Vaden]

coinkydink

The numbers are just for matching the pieces and have no other significance.

[Chris Ralston]

Thanks for the info.