QUOTE(Gint @ Jun 2 2006, 07:29 AM)
Do all of the cases (and subsequently the cylinders) have the same size hole, such that any cylinder will just fit right in without machining?
The holes
in the case are the same for all stock 914 and Type IV VW motors.
The recesses
in the heads are smaller for the 1.7 engines only! The 1.8s and 2.0s had the same size "cylinder registers" in the heads, so you can swap 1.8 heads onto a 2.0 and vise-versa. (I'm completely ignoring the intake setup, compression ratio, and all those other questions. My point is that the heads will indeed fit.)
You can swap the 96es onto your 1.7 case, with no more problem than swapping old used P&Cs onto any old used motor.
Note that there were three distinct "flavors" of 96mm P&C kit available:
For the 1.7, they used cylinders with smaller ODs on the outboard ends (so they'd fit the 1.7 heads) and pistsons that had the wrist-pin in the correct location for the 66mm crank.
For the 1.8, they used cylinders with the larger OD, and pistons for the 66mm crank.
For the 2.0, the kit used the cylinders with the larger OD, and pistons for the 71mm crank.
The 96es for the 1.7 are very thin, which is not conducive to long life. The ones for the 1.8 and 2.0 were thick enough, though I am told the raw castings of the easily-available new kits these days are pretty miserable.
--DD