Date:         Tue, 25 May 1999 18:13:06 -0400
Reply-To:     EMZ <vw4x4@FYI.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         EMZ <vw4x4@FYI.NET>
Subject:      Re: Need Advice on WB Piston replacement
Comments: To: KENWILFY@AOL.COM
In-Reply-To:  <8e1f7d03.247c7639@aol.com>
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII

   You need to dig into the motor further. Remove the piston, change the
oil. See if you can determine what cause the problem. After gathering
more info. then make this decision. If you can not find any reason
for the broken piston, I would let the customer make the decision
based on his finances and weather he likes to gamble.

            Eric                   86-VW4x4
            vw4x4@fyi.net          72-240z
            Pittsburgh, PA USA     1936-Chrysler


On Tue, 25 May 1999 KENWILFY@AOL.COM wrote:

> Well it happens to the best of us.  I have run into something that I have no
> experience on so I would love to have some input from the List on this one.
> Customer brought in '87 Wolfsburg Vanagon with no compression on number 3
> cylinder.  I thought it might be dropped valve seat as the motor had
> overheated at one point and I had seen this before with another customer's
> van.  When I pulled the spark plug the electrode was bent and the gap was
> full of aluminum (welded shut).  I figured that maybe a piece of valve had
> broken off and banged around in the combustion chamber.
> So I took the head off today.  The surface had a million little dings in it
> and the valves were coated with aluminum.  There were pieces of aluminum in
> the combustion chamber.  Then I looked at the piston.  It has a nice chunk
> out of it like someone took a bite out of it and the piston walls are majorly
> scored.  I am pretty postive that the rings are totally stuck to the piston
> too.
> So now I am wondering what to do.
> 1. Replace piston, cylinder, rings and head.  This is my first idea but I am
> concerned that aluminum shavings have gotten down into the crank case past
> the stuck rings and have already or possibly could do damage to the main
> bearings etc.
> 2. Tell customer to send this motor off to get it rebuilt or get a rebuilt to
> put in place of this one.
> 3. Rebuild the motor myself for the customer.  I could do this but I am
> really too busy at the moment.
> So what do you folks think.  Anyone experience a waterboxer with a broken
> piston before?
> This motor was a VW Factory Canadian rebuild with only 40k miles on it.  Do
> you think the customer could try to get some money from VW?
> Any help or advice would be appreciated.
> Ken Wilford
> Van-Again
> John 3:16
>