Vin i.d. on engine ?? (1 Viewer)

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Question I bought a 5.7 used with 45k on it via ebay. Donor vin was supplied via picture of body sticker showing a 2011 lx570, and a video prior to removal was supplied. My installer showed me a Boro scope video of the motor and the carbon buildup at the top of the bore area seems excessive. I was expecting to see a very clean inside view but in my opinion it's not as clean as I would expect. I looked all around on the engine but don't see any marks tying the engine to a vin. Only thing found was a stamping showing 3ur with some numbers after it. Those numbers don't match a vin. I checked my original markings and same thing, numbers don't match the vin. I am a parts counterman at a toyota dealer and ran this Question by my parts hotline contact at toyota and they said there isn't anything on the motor to indicate which vin it came from. The vin given in the listing for this engine matched the mileage in carfax and showed very good service records. I guess I'm getting it in my head that I was sold a motor other than the 45k one in the ad. Maybe carbon buildup from lots of short trips (2011 lx570 with only 45k miles) I googled the vin and saw the insurance pictures from the accident the truck was in and mileage disclosed in those pics is 45k. Hoping I just missed where to find a vin on the engine. Hard to believe there is no way to tie the engine to that truck. Sorry very long winded just losing confidence now that I'm up to spending 10 grand so far.
 
Question I bought a 5.7 used with 45k on it via ebay. Donor vin was supplied via picture of body sticker showing a 2011 lx570, and a video prior to removal was supplied. My installer showed me a Boro scope video of the motor and the carbon buildup at the top of the bore area seems excessive. I was expecting to see a very clean inside view but in my opinion it's not as clean as I would expect. I looked all around on the engine but don't see any marks tying the engine to a vin. Only thing found was a stamping showing 3ur with some numbers after it. Those numbers don't match a vin. I checked my original markings and same thing, numbers don't match the vin. I am a parts counterman at a toyota dealer and ran this Question by my parts hotline contact at toyota and they said there isn't anything on the motor to indicate which vin it came from. The vin given in the listing for this engine matched the mileage in carfax and showed very good service records. I guess I'm getting it in my head that I was sold a motor other than the 45k one in the ad. Maybe carbon buildup from lots of short trips (2011 lx570 with only 45k miles) I googled the vin and saw the insurance pictures from the accident the truck was in and mileage disclosed in those pics is 45k. Hoping I just missed where to find a vin on the engine. Hard to believe there is no way to tie the engine to that truck. Sorry very long winded just losing confidence now that I'm up to spending 10 grand so far.
I am not aware of the VIN stamped in the engine.
The only two locations are on the door jamb and under the windshield inside dash.
 
Ok I found the answer. Serial number of the engine is stamped on the pad of the engine. When I put the vin for the truck the engine came out of in my dealer daily program at work (I'm a parts guy at a toyota store), I found the matching serial number for that vin. Good news for me thank goodness.

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The build up maybe due to high idle hours.

Most of the cruisers (leo vehicles) have hour meters.
 
The build up maybe due to high idle hours.

Most of the cruisers (leo vehicles) have hour meters.
Run some 44k thru a few tanks?
Probably do the toyota pressurized cleaner that hooks up to the fuel rail. That and some spirited driving will help I hope.
 
Serial number of the engine is stamped on the pad of the engine. When I put the vin for the truck the engine came out of in my dealer daily program at work (I'm a parts guy at a toyota store), I found the matching serial number for that vin.
This surprised me, but in a good way.

Just last night we were watching an episode of The Lincoln Lawyer, where the investigator found a suspect Toyota Corolla with the VIN ground off. So he got out his trusty telescoping mirror and found the engine number, then did his super hacker magic and found the VIN and the owner. I smirked and said "you can't find the VIN from an engine number! That's just more Hollywood bull hockey." Seems I was wrong! (That's twice in 71 years.)
 
Ok I found the answer. Serial number of the engine is stamped on the pad of the engine. When I put the vin for the truck the engine came out of in my dealer daily program at work (I'm a parts guy at a toyota store), I found the matching serial number for that vin. Good news for me thank goodness.

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How do you know for sure that this number "3108647" is a serial number that is unique to each individual engine produced? I mean sure, maybe it is, but what if it's a batch number or some other identifier? I'd be checking a few more 2011 LX's in that computer system to make sure they have different engine numbers.
 
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Ok I found the answer. Serial number of the engine is stamped on the pad of the engine. When I put the vin for the truck the engine came out of in my dealer daily program at work (I'm a parts guy at a toyota store), I found the matching serial number for that vin. Good news for me thank goodness.

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Can this be searched reversely?
In other words, I have a salvage engine in a 2014 LC. I would like to know where the engine originated but I don't have the VIN of the donor vehicle.
I do have the engine serial # [565640] that is on the engine. Local dealer parts guy said he could not track it back to the original donor VIN.......
 
Can this be searched reversely?
In other words, I have a salvage engine in a 2014 LC. I would like to know where the engine originated but I don't have the VIN of the donor vehicle.
I do have the engine serial # [565640] that is on the engine. Local dealer parts guy said he could not track it back to the original donor VIN.......
You can't track it in reverse unfortunately
 
Yep. That's what I'm thinking as well......
 

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