Engine size, visual identification

Is it possible to do a quick visual check and decide on the engine size? A chap I've known for quite a few years now bought a Beetle to repair and get back on the road. I think it was a 1302 and was told that it's a 1600 cc
After doing quite a bit of body work (and plenty more to do) he decided to check the engine number ,obviously the crankcase number, and it identified it as a 1300 . I told him that it could have been rebuild and could be many various sizes and the only proper way was to take the heads off and do some measuring. He got "a mate" round who knows everything about vw"s and he instantly said that it was a 1300 just by looking at it. My mate contacted the guy he bought it off and he agreed to take it back and gave my mate his money back.

 

The only way is to measure the bore and stroke, the engine number tells you what it was but not what it is and you can’t tell by just looking at the outside of the engine.

 

Hello Meltman,

actually, after these many decades and possible changes over the long period of time, the only thing that helps is metering in litres - how much fluid fits into the combustion chambers. And make a test run for hp.

The engine code letters only say something about the block and the size at production time. This gives you an idea, but I wouldn't trust it alone. For type 4 engines, also make sure that the engine code letters are embossed twice: on the block and, more legibly, on the front of the replaceable fan housing. At replacement engines not all have the correct engine code - or have nothing in some countries.

With practice you can also judge a little by the appearance, but this is also not look inside.

regards,

 

My block and fan shroud numbers match and are 2L. If you checked the head part number you would find 1.7L. In reality it's 2.4L. There are no outward signs.

 

there would be hints though . Carb size , cylinder heads but your correct we used a 1300 case to build a 2055cc

 

Snotty for example has the same carbs on his 1776, others have them on 1600's.

 

As above, the engines have likely been modded so much over the years, it's hard to tell, even from the crankcase code.

Off with the heads and measure the bore & stroke.

 

Not really Malc, the only way for sure to determine capacity is to measure the bore and stroke. There's nothing on the outside that could definitively say what capacity the engine is.

 

My Type 4 fan housing has the original serial number, the crankcase does not. The engine was 1971cc but is now 2316cc (with 1800 heads) but it looks exactly the same. No matter how much practice you have you can’t judge the capacity by looking at the outside of the engine.

Incidentally, engine capacity is bore x stroke, not what will fit into the combustion chamber.

 

Ditto to all of the above except mines 2056cc.

 

People say all sorts as if knowledgeable. There was someone at techenders once with a plain 1600 dressed up with a nice exhaust, twin dells, 123 distributor and a breather box connected to the crankcase and rocker covers. What does the breather box do for you I asked in all innocence. "You need that with the Dells because they create a vacuum in the case which can crack it." His friends nodded at this sage knowledge.

 

I know. I should have written "People say all sorts as if knowledgeable don't they?"

 

Nothing.. in which case that vacuum would crack it..

 

I've wondered since if his logic was the roaring dells would suck on the breather pipe this much if connected directly to the air filter(s). Wishful thinking eh?

 

I have often wondered if there were a way of pushing water from one bottle to another with a pipe connected to the spark plug hole, and allowing for the stock cam timing, discover how much air is pushed out from BDC to TDC and estimate whether its about 1300, 1600, 1800, 2000 cc .

Time for a couple of plastic water bottles and some pipe and an M14 thingy with a hole through it for the air...

Such a thing that you could screw in seems to have a market if it could be based on junk and repurposing cheap new parts.

 

I like the idea but you're relying on a perfect seal from the piston rings, aren't you? Given how slowly you'd be moving the piston turning the crank by hand, I'd think you'd be seriously under-reading.

 

"Monkey See, Monkey Do" is motto of some VW enthusiasts.

I'll never forget the post on VZi years ago, where someone recommended taking off the shock absorbers, which would apparently "lower your van".