Before I pull a head off my mystery motor aka 72-73 bus 1.7 case drilled for 914 dipstick with 914 heads and 130-140psi cold compression.

Is there any way to ID a cylinder from the exterior?

Size? No
You have to remove the head and measure or it's often stamped on the piston top.
Check the head part number, if the head is 1.7 good chance the rest of the engine is 1.7

There may be a way on an engine stand to measure the sweep volume with a measured fluid, but I'll have a head off/on and measured many hours before you had this done.

While you're in there also measure the stroke, common to put a 2.0 crank and rods in a 1.7 case. Of course first clue would be stock 94mm pistons.

Thanks Mark, I'll pull the head and see what surprises await

With cold compression that good, why look? Add fuel and see how it runs.

Zach

It's just so I know what I'm selling

Get a bore scope and go in through the spark plug hole and see if you can read markings on the pistons.

well what is it

Can your bore-a-scope read through a carbon layer on the top of the piston...not likely .
Sorry but "thems the facts".
The answer is no as mentioned.

It depends on what you have in the way of carbon build up, you can see a lot close up with a bore scope.


And if you could read, I said "see if you can read" but apparently you would rather put your time and effort into insults and ridicule than actually paying attention to what was posted.

Jim

Well the Pistons were shiney when I looked in with my bore scope before I test ran it so there's a possibility of there are markings on the crown.

I'm probably just going to pull the head just because

Make sure you avoid inserting chopsticks in the sparky-plug hole(s) to measure the stroke

[quote name='jcd914' date='Jun 19 2019, 04:27 PM' post='2723767']
[quote name='porschetub' post='2723695' date='Jun 18 2019, 05:18 PM']
[quote name='jcd914' post='2723671' date='Jun 19 2019, 11:04 AM']
Get a bore scope and go in through the spark plug hole and see if you can read markings on the pistons.
[/quote]

Can your bore-a-scope read through a carbon layer on the top of the piston...not likely .
Sorry but "thems the facts".
The answer is no as mentioned.
[/quote]

It depends on what you have in the way of carbon build up, you can see a lot close up with a bore scope.


And if you could read, I said "see if you can read" but apparently you would rather put your time and effort into insults and ridicule than actually paying attention to what was posted.

quote,

Wow ,sorry you are sensitive to my reply ,not my intention to piss you off,just stating fact in this situation.

It was a 1.8 (92mm bore/66mm stroke)

1.8 is 93mm, 1.7 is smaller at 90mm so likely it's a 1.8 and you knocked the tool somehow.

More likely I'm blind

I hear you...I need glasses for my glasses.