can't ID my engine...AAZ or 1Z, mixed parts?

there are conflcting indicators as to what my engine is...it has some AAZ parts but everything I've read says it can't be...

1996 B4 Passat, build date 3/96, "bonded title"...not neccessarily a rebuilt or salvage car but the old title/owner lost, car abandoned, mechanics lein or something...who knows...

VIN: WVWHG83A5TE184652

Head casting number 028103373N

Block casting number gone????? where I think it should be, above the oil filter, where I see other engine's block numbers....looks smooth except a "VW" stamp with two arrows circling the "VW" and the number "484"...is this a rebuilt/replacement block?

data plate of some type on the radiator support area says engine family "TVW1.9V6DFZE"

the timing belt tensioner is not the auto adjusting style, but older style with the 10mm (not 8mm) mounting stud for an AAZ engine or older IDI engines.

No throttle cable either, has intercooler, so it's a TDI...is this a "frankenstein" motor?

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Early Passats were TDIs with a 1Z engine. The 1Z engine was the next evolution of the AAZ... and in typical VW fashion shared lots of parts from its predecessor... which is why you're seeing AAZ-like parts.

No block casting designation is pretty normal... IIRC they stopped that during the AAZ.

Dunno that the 1Z had an auto-adjusting tensoner... thought that was an ALH thing... but someone wiser than me will chime in.

That's a TDI, not a AAZ. Shot of injectors and glow plugs confirms. Direct injection head.

the 1z is supposed to have the auto tensioner on the tbelt, but can be fitted with the old as is currently being discussed in another thread.

that's my other thread I started since the new tensioner didn't match what was on the car...after going to the VW dealer parts counter I now have bigger questions about what exactly is under my hood...AAZ, 1Z or some mix of replacement parts, head, block, etc????

Other than the tensioner, what about this engine has you so puzzled?

well the block seems to be missing it's ID number or stamping. It would be nice to see a clear 1Z, AHU, or AAZ stamping or anything.

AFAIK the 1.6l engine from the '80s was the last block reliably marked (with a "1.6D" stamp). Some earlier AAZs got a "1.9" stamp but any of the AAZs I've seen/owned had no stamp... and by the 1Z there's no stamp for sure...at least not on any block I've ever seen.

the block has 1900 and a couple other characters "raised" on it which I believe are indicitive of year/month of production type markings...

but no apparent casting or part numbers...

someone had posted several nice pics of clear block designation codes stamped in a machined area above the oil filter mount...the exact same area on my block is devoid of any stampings other than the "circiling VW" symbol.

If you have a 'VW' with the 2 arrows circling it, it is a reman part. That car has a replacement engine (shortblock, anyways) in it.

It is a 1Z engine, which for all intents and purposes, is the same as the AHU engine in the A3 Jetta sold here. 1996 models had a unique EDC in that they were not OBD2, but OBD-D (you can see that on your underhood sticker). But that doesn't really change the engine proper. It doesn't have an EGR cooler, either.

The AAZ engine has a totally different head, no ECU, and was not sold in the USA anyways. Your car does not have an AAZ engine. Very early production 1Z engines did use a different timing belt tensioner than the later ones, and as far as I know that part has not been available for some time. ETKA shows the VIN split, but changed the part number anyways. Possible that someone looked up the part by VIN some time ago, found the original style tensioner, and installed that, OR the engine was a LONGblock replacement, NOS, and came with that style installed.

Anything else?

Was at the VW dealer last night...they ran the VIN...1Z engine...built 28 Mar 1996.

They also show according to the VIN and ETKA it has the older 10mm tensioner stud and old style tensioner. So I ordered the new style tensioner stud and will be updating the components, assuming it's a straight swap.

I suspected a rebuilt (by VW) block when I saw that circled VW stamp...well it did have a "bonded" title so it was probably abandoned by the owner at a repair shop for a very expensive "timing belt broke repair bill"....I'm guessing a remanufactured longblock from VW was installed and the owner didn't pay so the shop did a mechanics lein and/or bonded title and sold the car.

that also explains why the engine looks very clean for the age and mileage and the rest of the car was generally neglected....a very strange difference in condition between the engine and chassis...obviously a previous owner didn't want to spend any $ on the car...thus the timing belt finally gave out and since the owner was too cheap to ever do the belt...he was way also too cheap to pay repair bill for a new engine and thus the car now has a remanufacuted engine and bonded title...

So i will be happy with what appears to be a "factory" rebuilt motor and accept the fact that I will be doing much chassis & trim restoration...

does this sound logical?

If it's a wagon, they're pretty rare and should be kept going if at all possible.

oh yes it's a wagon...been looking for a 96 Passat wagon for years...never found one that wasn't sky high price or rusted away...

It appears the bonded title was issued 30 June 2011...so I'm guessing it was shortly before that a VW factory remanufactured engine was installed...i suspect the PO walked away from the repair bill and the shop applied for a bonded title to sell it and get their money back.

title search shows original title issued in Georgia/1996. a second title issued 2002 in Texas. and finally the Texas Bonded title in 2011...either the original owner moved to TX in 2002 or it was sold across state lines...so the bonded title is to either the second or third owner...so I'm the 3rd or 4th owner, not withstanding any temporary used dealer or repair shop possession/ownership

is my detective work logical? I'm guessing I have a practically "brand new" engine under the hood....