I'm in the process of rebuilding an engine with the number AR0548 H1031. I believe it's a 1750 but can't find any reference in the listings I've got – any help appreciated!
Not sure if this helps .. from what i can see, with the exception of a 'handful' of cars the 1750 engine number was prefaced with 00548 - so no matter what body you had .. if it was a 1750 engine it would have that prefix. The handful seem to have a number 01608 and I have no idea why as they are not unique models ... but who knows where the engine originated !!
Have you checked the cylinder head casting marks on the front (no 1 cylinder)?
1 - 1300
2 - 1600
3 - 1750 'series 1'
3a - 1750 'series 2'
4 - 2000 or numerals - '2.0'
Thanks for the comments!
The head casting indicates a 1750 series 2 and the bore dimensions back this up – the mystery remains!!
Did we ever have Berlina automatic's in Oz?
http://www.veloce.se/2685dda5-d7dd-42ec-8c8a-c1f28ea04937-29.html (http://www.veloce.se/2685dda5-d7dd-42ec-8c8a-c1f28ea04937-29.html)
The list in the hyperlink indicates - 105.73 00548 1750 Berlina Automatic, or am I way off the mark. As Rigi mentioned, the engine may have been imported with a car? I wouldn't just assume its an Aus market engine.
Looking at it further, the letter prefix seemed to be an emissions indicator to distinguish the engine for the market it was to be exported to. Sorry James, I'm going to show my naivete here, what's the mystery with the engine numbers? PAPAJAM on ALFABB seems to be a guru on the 1750 engines, he may ahve an answer for you there.
Fusi in "Alfa Romeo,all cars from 1910" shows the 00548 engine number prefix as originally fitted to the 1750 Berlina manual gearbox. 1970 ran from #90001 to 138077, 1971 from 138078 to 160949.
The 1750 autos started in 1971, were also prefixed 0548 & their engine numbers ran from 138078 to 160649.
The US version of the 1750 Berlina engine were prefixed 00551& in 1970 ran from 02514 to 04740. 1971 ran from 04741 to 07702. 1972 ran from 07703 to 07736.
Just to confuse things a bit, the engine number sequence is common to all US 1750 variants, ie Berlina, GTV & Spider.
CU Kim
CJ – thanks for your info, it's not really a mystery but I just wondered, as you say, if it was a country specific designation. I'll also check PAPAJAM.
I'll get around to a rebuild after completing my latest baby, an unmolested '71 1300 Junior GT.