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Pics of LE8 short-block/head off? Is it sand-cast?
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If the paper broadcast label is still on the front end it has a partial VIN that can be used to get a RPO list.
The "book" claims that the VIN is etched near the oil filter. I have never seen it.
There's a guy here on the Solstice forums with a good pic of a 15 digit code stamped on his oil filter "10TCC S710151110". The 8th digit is a 1 so I'm not sure it's applicable. Will continue to dig to see if an Ecotec had the 8th digit as 1 as it's vin code, or if there is some number shifting involved or something
Last edited by a_monkie; Nov 15, 2025 at 02:19 PM.
Here is a pdf of the bit of the Shop Manual about engine identification: Attachment 49541
Oh hey, I was just about to post this and reference it. So even with this, the best we can do is identify WHEN it was made, correct? This would still not allow us to differentiate LAP/LE8/LE5/LE9(depending on the year), correct? LE8 and LE9 production were both 2009-2011 HHR. LE5 was available in many models until 2010, in the Malibu until 2012. LAP was 2009-2010.
So if the year code is 2008 or earlier with VVT, It's an LE5. Year codes for 2009 or 2010 can be any of the four engines. If it's an 1(for 2011) it's either an LE5, LE8, or LE9. Year code 2(2012) has to be LE5 again as LAP, LE8, and LE9 were out of production.
**The above is all for Port-Injected N/A engines, Direct Injected N/A engines started showing up in 2010, but are easily identified by looking at the head.**
Ok, I'm gonna post a couple pictures I've found of some broadcast codes etched into the oil filter housing and we can decode them to the best of our ability.
So here we have an N/A VVT engine with an engine code of 7(2007). This should be a 2007 or 2008(remember new model years come early) LE5 with the good rods, then. Nice and easy! Also of note for confirmation is the very obvious foam-casting pattern.
VVT Valve cover Block part number 12592995 Broadcast code on oil filter housing
On this one, we have an obvious VVT valve cover, with "A20NFT" etched in the oil filter housing, which is the European name for the 2.0 Turbo LHU. That alone tells us the Engine, but then the year code 0(2010) tells us it had to be out of a 2011 Buick Regal or Saab 9-5, IF the engine was originally sourced from the US. I do not know what the rest of that code after the A20NFT means.
The casting pattern in most definitely NOT showing the foam pattern, so it's also a sand-cast block.
Lastly, the above forum link and picture link seem to have a picture of an LHU, but the link to the picture is dead, despite my best efforts to utilize extensions and hack-y fixes. If you find a way to recover this image, please post it in this thread.
Your 1st photo shows a VVT engine, a 2.4 from 2006 to 2011 HHR would have this style valve cover as would the 2008 thru 2010 2.0 SS and the 2009 thru 2011 2.2 litre. Our trucklets did not get the black plastic valve covers like the Buick or Equinox of later years .we did have direct injection in the 2.0 SS only
Lost foam cast is not the same as sand cast, does not leave the same surface
The 2.4 pistons have four valves reliefs This is a 2.4 being assembled, note the valve relief. A better view of 2.4 In this you can see the 2.2 piston is a dish like design to make room for the valves, this is a non VVT block
