mercruiser 165 identification

[archbuilder]

I ended up buying a 165 to replace my 120, despite my concerns on gearing in the out-drive. The motor is supposed to be rebuilt and has been setting in the garage for 20 years. (he figured out the deck couldn't be "patched" in the boat it was supposed to go back in) From what I could tell using an endoscope, it looks like there are brand new pistons in the cylinders, and the walls look freshly honed. There are a few missing parts, alternator, and some mischelanious items. The fuel pump also looks a lot like an automotive pump......and the wiring harness is missing. After looking at it, I think I can use some of the parts from my 120, alternator, brackets etc. But some of the items I'm going to need to purchase. The Mercruiser tag is missing off the motor, so I don't know what the serial number is. I do have this off the block, next to the distributor.



Which doesn't really jive with the Mercruiser serial numbers. With all that said, are the 165's pretty much the same in terms of parts, or are their differences from year to year? Also what years did they make them? The seller thought it was a 69, but that doesn't seem to fit with what I have come across in parts manuals

Thanks for any info!

 

[Bt Doctur]

might try in here http://www.castingnumbers.info/site/browse/m/chevrolet/p/8

 

[alldodge]

The casting number should be just above the starter on the passenger side

 

[Bt Doctur]

Only if your looking from the rear of a car will the starter be on the passenger side

 

[archbuilder]

Thanks for the info, I did look up the casting number on the link you gave me.

 

[bilge rat jim]

Those aren't the casting numbers. (notice they're stamped, not cast?) The top number is the application, or suffix code, the bottom number is a partial VIN number. These numbers are stamped in during the engine machining and assembly process. From the suffix number we can determine that the engine was built at the Flint, MI motor plant (F) on July (07) 2nd (02). There is no year code in the suffix number. The last 3 digits indicate the particular application for this engine (type of vehicle, type of transmission, etc. So far, I haven't been able find this application suffix listed anywhere. The partial VIN number is the number that matches the VIN of the vehicle this engine was originally installed in. The first digit of the partial VIN tells us that this engine was a Chevrolet application, the second digit (6) is the year code, most likely 1976, and the 3rd character (K) indicates the assembly plant, Leeds, Missouri. The Leeds plant made A bodies (Chevelle, malibu, El Camino, etc), so i would presume that engine came out of a 1976 Chevy mid-sized vehicle.

I'll keep keep looking for the application code, maybe we can narrow this down further.

- Just found that elusive "CCF" code- it designates a 250 cid chevy coupled with a TH200 transmission.