Any other way to figure out the serial number if the plate is missing? I have the the manufacturer number and the last four of the serial (someone previous wrote SN#XXXX on the inside of the door and the front of the op manual.
There are usually two numbers. The Sumitomo number used to be stamped on the edge of the front bottom plate of the house in between the boom cylinders. The Link-Belt number should be stamped below where the Link-Belt serial number plate was attached on the frame under the cab on the boom cylinder side. That number was supposed to be done by the selling dealer but I think that may not be getting done anymore.
John c is bang on... It will be letter number letter number - and then a 4 digit number.. The first 4 are just the model and year made last 4 is all numbers..
I have the number (I assume it is the Sumitomo number) from the the top of the plate right below the boom cylinders, but the dealer asking for the serial number to look up parts. I will look tomorrow to see if it is stamped under the cab as you mention. BTW- does link belt serialize after being sold? Reason I ask, I found the same year model with a manufacturer number few numbers lower than mine but the serial number is a few hundred higher if the number I have for mine turns out correct.
Just in case someone else is same boat as I am with a missing serial plate, the dealer can look up a keysheet using the manufacturer number which is stamped on the base plate by Sumitomo (both serial and manufacturer number is in the system, they just have to know how to look for it. The keysheet has all the info you would ever need (serial, date shipped, engine info, track info, attachments, etc...).
Link-Belt used to have their serial number stamped by a dealer that was close to where the imported machines were stored before being assigned to a dealer in the United States. Since the bulk of those machines came into the country through the Port of Seattle or Tacoma someone from Triad Machinery was supposed to do that stamping before the machine was shipped. I don't know if that happens anymore and back a bunch of years ago those machines many times got put on a truck before Link-Belt sent the paper work for the machine. The part that always griped me was that the Link-Belt number does not identify any of the part numbers you might need. The Sumitomo number still has to be used by the parts man.
Mine was not stamped, dealer seemed to not know anything about stamping. I plan to make a plate to replace the missing one, Link Belt corporate does not provide replacements apparently.