Date:         Wed, 31 Mar 1999 22:45:10 -0600
Reply-To:     al brase <braseelec@FORBIN.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         al brase <braseelec@FORBIN.COM>
Organization: al brase electric
Subject:      Re: How to measure piston length??
Comments: To: Tom Young <young@Sherlock.SIMS.Berkeley.EDU>
Comments: cc: type2@type2.com
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Tom Young wrote:
>
> Hi all:
>
> In preparation for putting the 2 Vanagon 2.0L engines I'm rebuilding back
> together I determined the long/short connecting rods by putting 3 at a
> time on a piston pin and comparing one to the other.
>
> The differences seemed pretty minor but, a foolish consistency being the
> hobgoblin of little minds, I thought I'd also try and determine the
> long/short pistons, to match up with the short/long rods.  But, I can't
> quite figure out how to do it!
>
> My first thought was to put each piston top-down on a piece of plate
> glass I have, push the piston pin out of the piston a little ways, and
> then measure the difference between the top of the piston and the top of
> the pin with my inside micrometer.  But, this distance is shorter than
> the shortest measurement I can make with the micrometer.
>
> So how does one go about measuring the length of a piston?  Actually, I
> don't need to know absolute length, just relative length.
>
> TIA.
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> Tom Young               young@sherlock.SIMS.Berkeley.EDU
Tom:
If you have long AND short rods I don't think you have 2 two-liter
engines. Two liter engines have shorter rods so that they put all the
extra 5mm. stroke at the bottom of the cylinder and not at the top and
bottom both. (71mm.-66mm.=5mm.)
I'm sure you could use a calipers to measure the distance top of pin
hole to top of piston. This should help you compare pistons. While
you're at it measure the diameter. 2-liter's are 94mm, 1.8's 93mm. bore.
Measure across the skirt perpendicular to the pin.
Al Brase
69 double cab