Identifying Red Motors

[Ol_Girl_58]

Hi all,  

How do you identify the origin of a red motor?  

I ask this as I want to know the age of my block, and where/ what model of Holden it's from.  

Is there some kind of formula involved? From memory (Car isn't easily accessible at the moment) the start of the engine prefix is 186P6.

Is this enough information? I'm eager to know the red's origins.  


Regards,

Ol Girl

[Dr_Terry]

Hi Ol Girl.

186P is the prefix used for the standard (hi-comp) 186 in HK/HT/HG series Holdens. If the serial number begins with a 6 & has 5 digits this makes it mid '68 (HK). The casting date code will place it's origin even more accurately.

Dr Terry.

[Ol_Girl_58]

Thanks Dr Terry          

Excuse my ignorance - this is just an ordinary run of the mill block? When you say high compression, were there also low-comp - eg. previous models - (HR etc.)

If I ask nicely   could you give a brief run down on what red motored cars had what prefixes - and what - if any - changes were made to red motors with each model?

I hope that's not too convoluted a question  

[craiga]

Check here

http://users.mrbean.net.au/~rover/choosing.htm

[Dr_Terry]

Hi Ol Girl.

It's a bity hard to give a quick rundown of the 22 year history of the Holden 6 (red/blue/black) motor.

That 'mrbean' link that CraigA has posted isn't too bad, but does have a few errors & omissions. I can't remember any good engine prefix listing that is freely available on the net (any suggestions RET?).

The 'mrbean' link doesn't list the correct 186 X2 prefix (should be 186K) & ommits the HR 186S (also 186K)altogether. He also leaves out the lo-comp 186 (186L) in the HT/HG series.

To answer your query on whether your block "just an ordinary run of the mill block?" The simple answer is yes. The hi-comp is the normal motor that accounted for the lion's share of the sales. The 186S was the performance version & the lo-comp was the (very rare) option usually only seen in special fleet or government ordered cars that were used in areas where 'super' petrol was not easily available. I don't know the actual production numbers of lo-comp engines, but I've only actually sighted 3 149 lo-comps, 2 186 lo-comps & 4 202 lo-comp motors, & my 1st job when leaving school in the early 70s was at a taxi base, a place where you would have seen a few lo-comps.

Dr Terry.

[RET]

There is a document listing the various engine prefixes available in the Club Members area.

cheers
RET

[Ol_Girl_58]

Thanks guys for your help.

Extremely informative

Okay, another thing. Upon looking at the Mr Bean site - I find it difficult to believe that a 186 motor has 94kW - are we talking flywheel or at the tyres? It doesn't feel like 94kW.    

[craiga]

94KW is only 126HP, sounds about right.


Here's the original X2 advert (courtesy eBay user BITS4U)



There has been a number of different methods used to rate engine output though.

For example the greys had an advertised rating of 20 or so horsepower.

Now that DOES feel about right :-D

Cheers,

Craig.

[Johns]

You're right about greys Craig.

Now that the wagon has a red motor and disc front end, its much better.

Cheers
John