V6 Engine Numbers

I Just picked up a TRD 4x4 and my mechanic thinks it might have had the motor replaced.

The original owner didn't have any service records so i figured I bring it in for a once over. I started to look over the car with my mechanic and we noticed a lot of improper DIY repairs (wire holding on exhaust, loose nuts, etc). He pulled out a mechanic mirror and showed me near the lower front of the block and said it was missing the engine vin plate.

I was under the impression that it only had the stamped serial in the casing but he showed me another 5VZ motor in his shop with a vin plate where I had two small empty holes. The motor he had out was from a 4runner but he couldn't think of any reason why mine wouldn't have the same vin plate.

Anyone ever heard of a vin plate on our motors? Also, can the engine serial be tracked back to the vin?

 

Should be stamped/engraved, not plated by oil filter.

 

I can get the original engine number through toyotas website since i have access to TIS, The stamp with the engine number is on the driver side around the lower radiator inlet/thermostat, its a large flat machined into the block, i dont know if you can see if with the alternator on or not. (i believe you can if you look from underneath the truck.
But there is no VIN on any 5vz that ive seen, only way to know is if you have access to TIS with the vin, or call toyota, they can tell you what your engine number should be.

(right under the Big 5VZ, that machined flat area behind the oil cooler line.)

 

Thanks guys, that's what I thought. I'll snap a pic of the motor at the shop when I pick up the truck tomorrow.

 

Here is the photo of the motor with a vin. Can't make out the vin in the photo but it's on the plate. It came out of a 4Runner.

 

interesting.. both my original engine, my fathers engine, and my new engine block dont have that tag.

 

I honestly think that plate is from an engine remanufactured company. When I was helping a buddy pulled his blown 5vzfe out, he had the same identical plate in the same exact location, When we clean the plate up, it actually have a stamped serial number and also stamp "powertorque reman" The engraved number by the oil filter was shaved clean. I personally think the plated number can be reference back to the manufactured since the block number was shaved clean.

His new block was identical. Engraved number by filter is gone and plated number attached to the same location "serial number & remanufactured company" on it.

 

My opinion is it really doesn't matter. Somone didn't take of the first engine and replaced it, thereby giving a newer version, then didn't take care of it either. Even Steven with a better maintained one if you're lucky.

 

TIS shows me the original engine number for any car i put the vin into. So I'm sure if you called Toyota and asked they could give you your engine number the truck came from the factory with.

 

Hi Empty_Lord. To be able to check original Engine number corresponding to a VIN via Toyota's TIS website , would the standard $20 subscription suffice ?

 

That I’m not sure. I’d imagine so. But I’ve never had the access from a outside of Toyota perspective

 

I have never seen a tag on a 3.4 engine having a few out of 4Runners as well

A truck this old having a different Engine is quite reasonable to me.

Best of Luck