Even the best engines and equipment will eventually need service and maintenance parts. With dozens of manufacturers and thousands of models, what information is needed to identify and purchase the correct parts for my diesel engine or generator?
Accurate Identification is Vital
Providing the correct engine and machine information will improve the parts purchasing process and ensure the accuracy of the parts provided. It is imperative to provide the engine serial number and complete engine model number. Where applicable, also provide the machine serial number and model number.
Why do I need to provide so many details just to order diesel engine parts?
It is important to follow a mid-production serial number break, as an updated part may or may not be backward-compatible. Additionally, the unique build spec is frequently listed as part of the engine model, which defines the necessity of providing the entire model number and not merely the generic base engine model.
Identifying Engines With Missing Serial Number Plates
What can I do to identify the serial number if the serial number plate is compromised or missing?
Many engines have the serial number and model number stamped into the engine block, in addition to the serial number label. See the photos of common FPT / Iveco / Case / New Holland (aka Cummins Iveco, Fiat, BetaPower, EEA, NEF, Cursor) and Yanmar examples. An industrial diesel engine serial number, in some cases, can reveal prior repair and warranty history. It can also provide the original ECU programming file, power level, and the original build specification.
Serial Numbers May Not Be Enough
The diesel engine serial number, depending on the original OEM build specification, may only provide parts details for the base engine. Purchasing parts the OEM specified in their equipment packaging process may require utilizing the OEM’s parts network, as opposed to the engine manufacturer’s network.
Diesel exhaust after-treatment components may be part of the manufacturer-provided engine assembly, or the OEM may have independently sourced the components. Check the parts for a label noting the component manufacturer, model of part, and part number.
Photos of engine numbers and the required parts can be very helpful when attempting to identify the correct parts.
Delmar Hoover
HooverTec
