Barrett VW Engine

Pete Barrett designed VW steam engine. This has the second of Pete’s three valve designs, the one with vertical poppet valves. The large red flat cylinder is the centrifugal oil-water separator. Two cylinders were used with the connecting rods cut off short on the other side. Blueprints are available for this engine, which was built in Perth, Australia.

		If someone wants a high horsepower steam engine this is the easiest and best prototype. What a person can do is to machine up a bunch of cylinders, using the extensive blueprints we have on hand, and then either install 4 of them on a beefed up racing VW engine block or put 6 of them on a Porsche crankcase. If you can make one cylinder you can make 8 of them.


Professional Detailed Photography by Derek Peters