Help with the VIN ID

Silly question but it’s a big one for me

I’m doing a head gasket replacement and my dowels look like they’ve been burned away. I’m keen to replace with steel but my VIN doesn’t seem to match the discovery codes? (EG 2A622424 onward)

My code SALLTGM97YA263461 doesn’t seem to fit the ‘2A’ numbers

can anyone tell me if this is suitable for steel or plastic dowels?

Normally you are best replacing plastic with plastic, all they do is make everything go back in the right place accurately, they don't take any part in sealing the head.
Replacing with steel, where it was not steel to begin with, if I remember rightly might do more harm than good.
But someone like @jamesmartin will confirm this or not.

Deanod said:

My code SALLTGM97YA263461 doesn’t seem to fit the ‘2A’ numbers

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Being YA..... means it's MY '99 which is deffinitely prior of any 2A which is from 2002 so if you want to follow the recommendation from the technical bulletin then fit plastic dowels even though many owners have fitted steel to early modells and they were lucky enough to not have issues

sierrafery said:

Being YA..... means it's MY '99 which is deffinitely prior of any 2A which is from 2002 so if you want to follow the recommendation from the technical bulletin then fit plastic dowels even though many owners have fitted steel to early modells and they were lucky enough to not have issues

Click to expand...

Ah Ha! That’s what I was struggling to get info on. 2A is 2002 onwards! You are a beauty.

I’ll get some plastic Dowels as replacements then if I can. Apparently the metal can crack the old heads?

Thank you very much!