I just bought myself a 1973, 1.7l, 914, so first of all hello to everyone.
I have noticed that some previous owner has been playing with air cleaner and for some reason has cut all the bottom of the casing with only a bracket and frame left. I have started to look for a new part but then realize that it looks that the oil cleaner I have is actually from a 2.0l engine. Can anyone provide information on which air cleaner is correct for my engine? I just want to mention this is eu. model.
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Looks like you have a 2.0 engine not a 1.7. I have several of them in the US if you cant find one in Europe.
You also need the bracket that hold the air cleaner to the drivers side intake runners.

There has been some confusion with the engine when buying the car. The owner was not sure if this is 2.0 or 1,7. Acc to papers it should be 1,7 also engine number (W0055478) would point for 1,7 engine, at least as far I was able to learn.
Any easy way to tell which one I have?

The number of studs on the intakes will identify which heads
4 is a 1.7/1.8
3 is a 2.0

3 studs (2 on the sides one at the bottom), so the engine 1.7.
Any idea which air cleaner should be equipped with?

3 studs = 2.0

Ok, 2.0 then. That means air cleaner is correct, only to be replaced for undestroyed one. Correct?

Correct,
but at Bruce said, you are also missing the bottom mounting component
in addition to the replacement box

For many people 2.0l is more desirable so unless you were looking for originality, congratulations are in order I suppose!

For anyone's future reference, here is the stock set up from my original '73 1.7. Note the horizontal orientation of the throttle body.

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I can see from the pictures it is a 1.7. The spark plug angle is wrong and I can see the two inner studs from a 1.7 4 stud intake.

Interesting idea on the air box.

Find yourself a 1.7 original...

If its a 1.7
then someone changed the throttle body to be upright

likely (I've never tried it) that conversion requires a change in runners, manifold, and air box to match the differently oriented TB

brant

Thank you for help. It looks this project will be full of surprises. I was sure I am buying 1.7 and now it seems I have 2.0

No, you have a 1.7. if it is a 2.0 they put 1.7 heads on it. The spark plug angle tells all.
This is from the other side but notice how the plugs are located much further down.

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There might be a clue here: http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-914...or-you-got.html

Note the part about 2.0L bus engines having the same spark plug locations as the 1.7 & 1.8.

EDIT: But then again, the W engine code definitely points to a 1.7 914 engine. https://davidplanella.org/vw-bus-engine-codes/

Curious - but it still will be a blast to drive regardless!

I had a 2.0 engine, with 2.0 heads built on a 1.8 case. You never know what you have until you check it all out.

It will be interesting to see why they fit that plenum on there. Did they do a oversize bore on a 1.7 and looking to put the 2.0 injection system on it? Mystery!

Someone probably cut out the bottom of the air cleaner box in an effort to “improve “ the engine performance. Unfortunately all they were doing was drawing in more hot air from the top of the engine. Probably put the larger 2 liter plenum and throttle body on it in their effort to boost engine power, too. Unless you dismantle the engine and measure the bore and stoke, there is no telling what size Frankenstein engine your car has in it.

OK. So my celebration of heaving 2.0 engine was a little bit too fast.
As I understand there is not much to tell until the engine is stripped. I took down the exhaust and it also looks to be from 1.7
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Yes, looks like it curves up at the back of the heat exchangers. But that doesn't determine the engine size or heads used. Exhaust outlets on all the heads were the same so 2.0 engine fits 1.7 heat exchangers and vis versa.

Considering how rare these are in Europe it might have been desperation in trying to maintain it over the years.

Maybe somebody thought putting a 2.0L FI on would boost power somehow just like they apparently thought cutting the bottom out of the air cleaner would. Maybe there is a big bore in there which would make a little more sense for the FI swap. Regardless, spark plug angles say NOT 2.0L heads and the case number and exchangers agree.

Here you go. Working in the engine well is so much easier now.

That is very nice.

Pull a valve cover & using a penlight & some contortions you should be able to make out the part # casting.
As has been already mentioned, who knows whats been done over the past decades.
I did a 1.9L sometime ago using 2.0L heads FI & exhaust components, unless you dug into it you'd never know!