Where to find engine serial number?

[PUR PONY]

I bought a rolled over mercury mountaineer a few years back. The selerl said that the engine was replaced before he bought it but had no proof. I have bad the engine sitting in my basement for the last 2 years. I never really looked at the title but the door tag says the truck was built 6/96 so i thought it was a 96 with GT40 heads..... Now that i am getting around to wanting to use the engine... i find out it had GT40"p" heads which didnt come till mid 97...... so I was thinking.... sweet.... the engine was replaced.... but when i look at the title it says 97 !!!!!

VIN matches...... title and truck.

But i am wondering, does the engine have a serial number that i can match to the truck to see if it is original or has been changed? I just looked all over the engine and cant really find anything except a tiny little tag thats held onto the block by two philips head screws by the starter.... its a 4 digit that reads 9L05

does this mean anything to anyone?? or is there some place on the block i missed with a serial number?

I pulled the oil pan off and there is no crap in the pan. the oil pickup screen in spotless, and the cylinder walls are beautiful... no scores, nice hatch... everything looks spotless and low mileage.......

thanks

 

[swetrid]

Mountaineer only came out in 97.

 

[PUR PONY]

you know.. you are right... i never even thougth of that.

So did all Mountaineers have "p" heads or did some of the earlier ones have just gt40 heads?

 

[PUR PONY]

ok- did a little poking around on the net and found out that the number plate i found is a date code....

9L05..... So this engine block date code is either Nov. 5, 1989 or Nov. 5, 1999

1999 makes more sense (and would show that the engine was replaced with what looks to be a new longblock) but who really knows.

 

[2000StreetRod]

VIN location

I don't know about the V8 but the last 8 digits of the VIN are stamped on the driver side rear of the V6 block just below the head.