NEED HELP!! Engine Identification!!

[NCjeeper]

i purchased a 258 from a guy a while back. his father had just got it, but passed away shortly after buying it. he didnt know what the engine came out of or what year it was.

the plate between the 3rd and 4th cylinder isn't legible. i tried using a brillo pad, cleaners, etc. no luck. i tried holding a sheet of paper to it and doing a rub with a pencil. no luck.

so then i looked to the plate on the exhaust manifold, and it says "3 7 83"...

i purchased a rear main seal that's supposed to fit: "AMC" 258 4.2L OHV. Eng 1971-1988 and "JEEP 6" 258 4.2L OHV Eng. 1971-1990.

the seal i purchased came in two pieces. the seal i pulled off the bottom of the crank is a single seal, looks much longer and wider. i need to identify this motor!!! can anyone help me??



4 pictures linked below.

1. diff. size seals
2. bottom rear of crank, motor upside down
3. ID numbers on drivers side of the block
4. plate on the exhaust manifold


http://community.webshots.com/album/549206959xShwoV

thanks guys!


edit: this motor also came with a/c compressor and has a tension pulley that's broke? cant find a tension pulley anywhere.

 

[NCjeeper]

bump. anyone? any ideas of who i could call or websites i could check?

 

[redrooster]

The one thing I can tell you is that, yes, that is the wrong seal. BUT, yours is also a two piece seal. You just haven't removed the second piece yet. Use a pick where the ends of that lower half stopped and try to grab the edge of the upper half. It should slide out.
If you look, there may be a number on your original seal.

 

[dingus]

isn't there usually a VIN on the block?

 

[NCjeeper]

isn't there usually a VIN on the block?

"the plate between the 3rd and 4th cylinder isn't legible. i tried using a brillo pad, cleaners, etc. no luck. i tried holding a sheet of paper to it and doing a rub with a pencil. no luck."

that's the vin

 

[dingus]

gotchya, that sucks...

 

[NCjeeper]

the hanes manual says there's supposed to be a two-piece seal on all 258's in the cj. i thought mine had a one piece because i tried poking at it with a piece of plastic (im terrified to scratch anything) and it seemed to be rock hard around the crank so i thought it was a one-piece seal. after looking again, i guess i can see where the upper seal is...theres a slight indention around the crank. why doesnt my seal fit?

 

[Spotfirecsi]

If it helps I just had the rear main replaced in 86 cj 258. It was a two piece seal

 

[redrooster]

Why doesn't it fit??? Because most of the counter guys at auto parts stores these days are complete morons.
They may have given you a seal for a 304.

 

[NCjeeper]

the engine has a stamped alluminum valve cover, internal head bolts on the passenger side, and stud bolts on the intake/exh side. the seal works for my 1975 258 out of the cj5... but its wayyy too small for the 258 i just bought. any ideas?

 

[Junkpile]

Without knowing the history of the engine it's going to be tough to ID positively. The 444 at the end of the block code indicates an 80/81-90 year model. The aluminum valve cover would indicate that it's a 87 and newer, but valve covers are easy to swap around. I can't remember if there are differences in seals, but your 75 model has the heavier crankshaft than a later one would.

Go to a different parts store and compare seals. I went through a component ID nightmare with a Nissan pickup that I had. Turns out, the parts store simply had the wrong number in the computer.

 

[NCjeeper]

well, as ive stated before, im not very mechanically inclined. the seal worked. haha. i still need to know what year it is, so we def. know its an 81+! it looks pretty new... thanks junkpile!