are 200mm and 228mm the only sizes in which vw flywheels came? how is this measured, will getting a tape measure around the flywheel give me the size?

215 mm also, Diameter of the clutch plate

Now I wish I had measured it before installing the vw engine. Have a spare flywheel though, can I measure the clutch contact area (inner flywheel) instead?

wait a minute, are you saying all vw flywheels have the same outer diameter but different clutch contact surface area? (I also seem to remember that 6v flywheels ha fewer teeth?)

215 and 228 are both Kombi units (1600 kombis had 200mm). Beetles and type threes came with 200mm and one other smaller size on pre-1500s.

180mm - 6 volt beetle/type 3
200mm - 12 volt beetle/late 6 volt type 3/ 1600 kombi
215mm - 1800 kombi
228mm - 2 litre kombi

Three flywheel sizes 6 volt 12volt and 2 litre

Hi

Type 3s only had 200mm, 1300 twinport bugs also had a 180mm.
1700 Kombis had a 210.
The 210, 215 & 228 all had 5 bolts holding them on whereas the 180 & 200 had a central gland nut.

Steve

have checked the extra flywheel i have, it has 130 teeth. that's about all i could measure, i guess it is 12v. it is held by 4 dowels (not sure thats what they are called) and fastened with a gland nut.

am i safe to assume its 200mm. don't really know how to measure the 200 or 180mm.

the 180mm and 200mm are clutch diameters. If you measure the OD of the friction face on the flywheel it should be about the same.

200, 215 and 228 all the have the same OD flywheels, i.e. same ring gear. The 228mm pressure plate sticks out from the flywheel a long way, so it's starter has the pinion offset from the one-way ratchet further than the others to clear the pressure plate. bellhousing clearanced to suit.

So would that mean that on a flywheel that usually uses a 228mm clutch, you could replace it with a 215mm items if needed? and 200mm for a 215mm and the like?

yes , there is a greater selection of 200mm clutch kits about than the others

keep in mind 2ltr cranks have more bolt holes