Why is a Caterpillar Engine Arrangement Number Critical to Efficiency?
When researching service and/or parts information for a Caterpillar engine it is very important to include the Arrangement Number (AN) along with the Engine Serial Number (ESN).
The AN is a breakdown of the different components used in a specific engine. Items such as piston group, cylinder head group, fuel system group and all other components are listed and described in detail. Each engine model can have multiple ANs, depending on how it was configured at the factory. However, the engine you’re working on will be covered by one specific AN that covers the exact components included in your configuration.
For our discussion here we will use a C15 engine. First let’s locate the ESN. Most Caterpillar ESNs can be found on the side of the block or on the Rocker Arm Cover. Knowing truck engines, you may need a shop rag along with a bit of solvent to clean the data plate to be able to read the number. As illustrated in Figure 1, this particular data plate is located on top of the Rocker Arm Cover. As you can see in Figure 2, this C15 engine VIN plate is located on the side of the engine block.
Figure 1
Figure 2
This data plate indicates the engine Model C15. The serial number is identified as BXS00782 — BXS is the prefix and 00782 is the actual ESN. The data plate AN is identified as 240-4187. Knowing the AN along with the ESN we now have additional information available for our parts and service research.
Figure 3 – Detailed information identified by the Arrangement Number
Any time you need to call the Mitchell 1 Product Content Support department for assistance, it’s helpful if you can provide as much information as possible. And if you’re working on a Caterpillar engine, giving us the AN will speed up the support process. You can help yourself by taking a little extra time to gather all the vehicle information so our team can help get you back on job as quickly as possible.
For other Caterpillar engine work, you can refer to the TruckSeries truck repair information for a wide range of specifications, procedures and tips.
Want to learn about TruckSeries?
Request a FREE DEMO today!
Also Read:
