How to know if engine is modified?

[lojoma]

I have '63 Beetle with a '74 engine. I just bought the car, and the previous owner thought the '74 engine was added about 15 years ago, but it was with another owner.

The car has stock carb but has aluminum body air cleaner, not the stock kind. Also has bolt on valve covers instead of original.

So I'm wondering if these were done for looks or for other reasons...I had read that some of the bolt on valve covers were for modified heads. Are there things to look at that can tell me how stock or not this engine is?

Also, I would like to get a stock air cleaner, but wondered if they used the small one because the larger wouldn't fit. Is this a problem for a '74 engine in a '63 Bug? The manifold does NOT have a vacuum hookup so I wonder if the stock cleaner would even be able to work properly.

Thanks

[grandpa pete]

You have to know what size pistons and rings you have . you can't tell by looking at it from the outside .
Fancy air cleaner and bolt on valve covers could be just dress up on a standard 1600 .
The stock 74 air cleaner is much bigger and would look really strange in an earlier car if it fit .

.Gallery ;search ;74 air cleaner =

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63 two fold rag
66 sedan delivery Type 6

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=569619&highlight=sedan+delivery

[lojoma]

Thanks. Right, the cleaner is a lot bigger, so I wondered if anyone had experience with the combination I have using the bigger cleaner. I would like to have the pre-heater etc and get it more stock engine performance if possible. Though I suppose without the vacuum line being available, it would be pointless....

[KTPhil]

The late large air cleaner will not fit under the decklid. VW bumped it out starting in '67 to make room for ever-larger air cleaners.

Post some pics and we can advise.

Much of the stuff people add are for looks or the perception of performance, while actually diminishing its performance or flexibility.

[arizonabuckeye]

A well trained ear could probably tell from the sound as well. A stroker sounds quite a bit different from a stock engine.

[lojoma]

Not very helpful, I'm sure, but it's the only one I had on my phone! I can get better pics later if it will help.

The sound of the engine is a lower rumble than I would expect, but it has stock muffler with non-peashooter pipes on it. I had thought it was the pipes that made it sound that way, but maybe it's the engine itself.

[gt1953]

Looks like a stocker with a degreed pulley.
The oil bath air cleaner will out perform that one.
_________________
Volkswagen: We tune what we drive.
Numbers Matching VW's are getting harder to find. Source out the most Stock vehicle and keep that way. You will be glad you did.

72 type 1
72 Squareback
({59 Euro bug, 62, 63, 67, 68, 69, 73 type ones 68 & 69 type two, 68 Ghia all sold})

[lojoma]

I didn't think about using an oil bath one. That will work with the 34Pict carb?

[Fiatdude]

It is easy to tell

Stock

Not Stock

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[blitz64]

Not sure why anyone would put a generator on a newer engine if it is a 1970's.

[Aussiebug]

It does look like a stock twin port engine with a bit of bling added.

The generator indicates it's probably a 71/72 engine. The car has been converted to 12v with the regulator positioned on the fan housing so the original wiring can be used (all good). And the aftermarket air cleaner would be there because the large VW oval oil bath and the later paper cleaners will not fit under that lid - as pointed out above.

A smaller round (1200) oil bath air cleaner would fit, although these might possiby restrict airflow a little with the (probably) 1600 engine. Plenty of folks using that combo though, so it might work OK, and the oil bath air cleaners do work VERY well. (250cc of any engine oil for the small round type, and 400cc for the larger oval variety).

The engine is probably a stock 1600 as it appears to have a 34PICT/3 or H30/31 carb - both work fine with the 1600. The fractionally larger 34PICT/3 will work OK with a 1776, but will run out of breath with any larger capacity.

If it is a 34PICT/3, I have to ask, do you get the dreaded acceleration stumbles with that 009 distributor? If so, it's because the non-vacuum distributors do NOT work well with the 34PICT/3 carb. You'll get smoother acceleration and better fuel economy with an SVDA (single vacuum double advance) distributor.
_________________
Rob
Rob and Dave's aircooled VW pages
Repairs and maintenance for the home mechanic
http://www.vw-resource.com

[Red Rail]

Hey lojoma. Great to see someone else on here that is in the area. I live north of Memphis, but I do work in downtown Memphis.

[Cusser]

[lojoma]

Thanks for all the opinions!

The engine code is AH...I read elsewhere that makes it a '74 California, but I'm now reading on The Samba's literature that it could be from '71-'74 so thanks for the heads up there. Any other way to narrow down the year, if it matters? Maybe my lack of vacuum port on the manifold?

Yes, the engine sure does stumble with that darn 009, and I am working to remedy that asap. I have ordered a SVDA distributor.

I wondered about the generator, too, but as long as it works....

[trektider60]

Here is a pic of my '60 with a 1974 1600 DP. It had a filter just like yours when I purchased it and I found this air filter here on the Samba. A good cleaning and a couple of coats of paint. I need to get the preheat tube on it just for looks. I won't be driving it in cold weather.

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1960 Indiana Red T1

[lojoma]

[Aussiebug]

[lojoma]

Rob, thanks so much for the information. I really enjoy your website.

My engine code is not between the numbers you gave unless I'm misunderstanding something about the code.

I do have the doghouse cooler and had wondered about the amount of cooling I am getting, but I haven't even tried going over 45 with it yet!

So I ideally would be looking for a '63 convertible deck lid? (Edit: I see photos of '63 'verts with the deck lid vents...will see if I can pick one up somewhere!)

Also, looking at an earlier post with the plastic air cleaner, there is a vacuum line going to the manifold; that's what I was asking about. But I now see that (I think) they started that in '72 and that earlier oil baths didn't have that line.

[Miklo]

[lojoma]