Porsche 120ci Engine Specs

Bore, stroke, displacement and compression for all 3 Porsche 120ci engines, compared side by side. Plus rod ratio and head specs where published.

At a glance

Displacement	120 ci
Cylinders	4
Bore	3.622–3.701"
Stroke	2.795–2.913"
Compression	7.6–9.2:1
Advertised power	86–130 hp
Years	1962–1976

Engines in this family

Engine	Displacement	Bore × Stroke	CR	HP
587/1	120 ci	3.622" × 2.9134"	9.2:1	130
923/02	120 ci	3.7008" × 2.7953"	7.6:1	86
VW Type 4 2.0	120 ci	3.7008" × 2.7953"	7.6:1	95

Factory cars with a Porsche 120ci

• Porsche 356: 1962, 130 hp; 1963, 130 hp; 1964, 130 hp; 1965, 130 hp
• Porsche 914: 1973, 95 hp; 1974, 95 hp; 1975; 1976
• Porsche 912: 1976, 86 hp

What varies across the family

Both bore and stroke vary across the family, so these are separate castings rather than variations on one block.

Compression spans 7.6:1 to 9.2:1, so fuel requirements differ meaningfully between members — worth checking before assuming parts interchange.

All are oversquare — bore larger than stroke, which favours revs over low-end torque.

Each engine page carries rod ratio, mean piston speed, bore/stroke character and cylinder head specs where published, and links into the calculators with its dimensions already filled in.

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