85.5mm + 87mm Barrel Spacer Kit (0.040" Thick) - Type 1 Engines

Cylinder base shim set for aircooled VW Type 1 engines using standard 85.5mm cylinders and pistons.

These precision-engineered shims install between the cylinder barrel and crankcase to alter deck height and accurately adjust the engine compression ratio. Increasing the cylinder spacing increases combustion chamber volume, helping reduce compression and allowing precise engine setup during assembly.

Cylinder base shims are widely used when building stroker engines, correcting deck height after machining work, compensating for flycut cylinder heads or setting compression ratios during performance and standard engine builds.

This version is designed for standard 85.5mm barrels used on 1600cc Type 1 engines and is suitable for Beetle, Bus, Karmann Ghia, Type 3 and other upright Type 1 engine applications.

Manufactured to 0.040″ thickness (1.016mm), making them ideal for larger deck height corrections and compression adjustments.

Sold as a set of 4, enough for one complete engine.

We recommend carefully measuring deck height and calculating final compression ratio before final engine assembly. Cylinder seating surfaces should always be clean and flat before fitting.

Specifications:

• Fits 85.5mm cylinders/barrels
• Thickness: 0.040″ (1.016mm)
• Fits standard 1600cc Type 1 engines
• Quantity: Set of 4
• Fits between cylinder and crankcase

Applications:

Aircooled VW

• VW Beetle, 1960–1979, 1600cc Type 1 engines
• VW Splitscreen Bus, 1960–1967, upright Type 1 engine applications
• VW Baywindow Bus, 1968–1979, Type 1 engine models
• VW Karmann Ghia, 1960–1974
• VW Type 3, 1961–1973, upright Type 1 based engine applications
• VW Type 181 Trekker, 1968–1983
• VW Buggy and Baja models using 85.5mm Type 1 engines