I bought an engine from a 2008 rx-8 with 8,000 miles.

The engine serial number is 532615

I was not present when the engine was removed because I purchased it over the phone from a city 3hrs away.

I just want to make sure I didn't get screwed.

 

I heard if the engine was replaced there would be no numbers.

 

I'm going to say you probably can't learn anything about the engine from it's serial number. If you had the VIN of the vehicle it was removed from... That would probably help more, to see what had been done on it.

 

So what is the point on engraving a serial number into an engine block?

 

so that mazda knows if it was replaced by the dealer or was replaced by someone else?

 

Mazda maintains a database correlating engine serial numbers to VIN numbers. There is no apparent relation other than that private database. In other words there are no common numbers etc. between the VIN and serial.

The problem is that serials are only stamped onto individual pieces of the block (for the older engines, it was the front iron...actually haven't investigated the renesis, but I assume it is the same). Once the engine comes apart, the serial number is meaningless, as you can build a block from parts of 10 other blocks if you wanted to.

Years and years ago PFS got involved in an engine swap/rebuild scam with some customer FD rx-7s, and it was eventually proven in court that a rebuild customer in fact got a used block from another customer's car. The plaintiffs proved this by having mazda get into their database and verify which engine serial came from which car/VIN.

 

Great info. Thanks!

The question is.. would Mazda share that information if I call for it?

 

Ya can always see if a test driver took a new car for a spin and replaced a new car engine with a trashed one.

Think I'm kidding?

 

Probably, but I'm not sure that the dealership level can help you, it would probably be a question to pose directly to MNAO.

 

Short of someone like myself or a dealer tech, I dont think anyone is capable of doing an engine swap on one of these cars in less than a day. Most test drives are under 1 hour. The only way to do that would be one of those "here, take it for the weekend while we work out the financing for you" things.

 

Oh well.

I will just get a compression test performed after its installed.

If she purrs like a kitten, who cares right?

 

Check the compression before you install it.

 

Yes they will. Took them less than a week to respond to my inquiry- I was shocked. Go to their official website and email them.

 

so i have the same question as the OP.

i am looking at buying an '04 GT with a manual trans from a friend, the issue is that he recently wrecked the motor like an idiot. (he hit road debris at 90 mph and drove it until it died on him...) the insurance covered the damage, but the shop has left me.... questioning their ability.

the replaced the motor, told him it was a brand new crate (i checked the SN. it had one anyway) my goal at the time was to track down if the SN would reflect a difference between types of engine as is done in '70's Chevy.

specifically i am trying to determine if the engine is still a 6 port "high power" engine, or if the mech is as big an idiot as my friend...

i am questioning the Mech because its been in the shop for 3 months now, they gave it back to him and he took it back with problems so they "replaced the engine" again... me thinks they are pulling wool over his eyes.