Would this work ok?

[GTI-R Kid]

With funds tight due to other commitments at the moment, a friend has suggested replacing the single knackered piston in our engine with another one. He reckons that just replacing the one piston, along with the bearings, will see the car up and running fine again (or at least until funds can be raised for a full rebuild). He seemed very confident that it would be ok, and since he has some expierence rebuilding MR2, 200SX, 3000GT and other engines i'm half confident in what he's telling me.

What i was wondering was if this is a viable option? As far as i'm aware theres no head damage, and the cylinders haven't been scored either. For all those who've had or done rebuilds on their engines, have you ever tried this and what was the result?

For a little insight into the senario, the piston holed itself due to fuel starvation (i think). There was a bleed valve fitted at the time, but it was in the closed position meaning the car was running close on standard boost (any hike over normal would hav been down to the K&N and the Mongoose). Going round a bend the fuel surged leaving cylinder 1 empty and the piston went. It destroyed the tip of the spark plug in the process.

Also, while on the subject, does anyone think that the bleed valve being fitted could have contributed to the problem? It had been set to 0.9 bar (checked on aftermarket GReddy boost gauge) and was run at that pressure without problem for early 9 months. Personally i don't think it would have contributed, but others i've spoken to aren't so sure.

Before anyone slates me for looking for a cheap fix, and lectures me on how i shouldn't be running a car like this if i can't afford it, please save your flames. With moving home and extra expenses to think of right now, i just can't afford to splash out on a full rebuild. I want the car back on the road, so i want to know if its madness to replace a single piston with another standard one for the car to run until there's money available for the forged pistons and everything else involved.

Any help much appreciated folks, as i'm kinda missing the car now its been off the road for .... well i wont say how long since its kinda depressing.

Thanks.

 

[sypher]

providing the bore is not barreled or shows signs of ovality or ring / skirt scrapes then yes, re hone bore get correct size piston and rings and re install, whilst the heads off check all bores for barrel and ovality

i would also do a static flow rate check and spray pattern check on all 4 injectors and fuel pressure check and fuel pump delivery rate replace spark plugs

i've been told on good authority from other forum members that stock ecu is fuel safe to 1 bar boost if fuel system is good

anybody know the flow rate of stock pump

 

[Fast Guy]

If you're lucky you could get away with just a piston. If you can, you might as well put a full set of new rings on all pistons if you're going to have to run it in anyway.
If you're concerned about the bleed valve, turn it down abit until you can afford to get it set up properly at 1bar or more
You should be ok at 1bar, but a fuel controller would be a wise investment. Fit an uprated fuel pump if you don't know how old yours is.

 

[GTI-R Kid]

Thanks for the replies guys.

Fastguy - personally i'm not at all concerned about the bleed valve, but the better half (co-owner) is. The car ran perfectly for nearly 9 months with the valve set to 0.9bar with no problems at all. Others have been sceptical about it claiming it might have done damage which resulted in the piston going, but i don't buy this myself since the car ran for a few hundred miles with it completly closed before the piston went.

Since i don't believe that it was a contributing factor, and herself believes it might, i'd like to get others opinions on it. I know i won't be running one again (will get a proper controller to do it) but i am interested in opinions.

As for the ring on the other pistons and running the engine in, i haven't discussed the idea in detail just yet. I thought it better to get the opinions of the owners on here before exploring the idea more. If the general consensus is a thumbs down then unfortunately the car will remain off the road for the forseeable future, if it gets a thumbs up then it might be back up and running this side of Christmas.

Oh and on the parts front, I already have an uprated walbro pump ready to go in (car only has 60,000 miles on it but better safe than sorry), a metal head gasket would be going in too, and all the bearings in the bottom end would be getting replaced too. Would i need to get the crank worked on? Rings will be considered too - thanks for the suggestion.

Basically i'm looking for the easiest and cheapest way to get the car back up and running. If its going to cost too much to do a single piston (with honing and crankshaft work) then a better option might just be to source a complete running second hand engine and do a swap.

 

[one Gti-R]

as mentioned I you might be lucky and get away with it,

However I think your alot better saving up the money and buying new pistons and doing the job ONCE and doing it properly.

 

[Websnowbo]

As long as the bores are fine it will be ok, you are gonna be buying a set of bearing's too, so you may as well pop all the pistons out and fit the new bearinga and you may as well buy a set of rings too and slap them on the other pistons. (If they aint too expensive)

The problem with that piston probably started years ago when some lil Jap dude ran it at 1.5Bar

 

[GTI-R Kid]

However I think your alot better saving up the money and buying new pistons and doing the job ONCE and doing it properly.

Not really a viable option at the moment unfortunately. It would probably take me another 9 months to raise the sort of money necessary for even a basic rebuild (I've been quoted 3500Euro for forged pistons, honing, lightening, balancing, stripping & assembly) whereas the option above would only cost a fifth of that at an estimated 600 Euro (no labour charges at all).

On top of the cost of that the car would have to be insured again (1k) be taxed (600Euro), needs new wheels, needs an NCT. It all adds up to being too expensive to rebuild properly.

Even an engine swap would be a good deal cheaper with sourcing an engine costing no more than 1500. Assuming it came complete i could sell off the anciliaries like intercooler, manifolds, throtle bodies, turbo, afm etc to make most of my money back so it would still only end up costing around the 500-600 Euro mark.

Being realistic about my finances at the moment i really only have 2 options available to me if i want the car back on the road any time in the next 12 months and they are replace the single knackered piston, or replace the entire engine.

 

[Websnowbo]

Now i'm not being cheeky, as i'm not sure how mechanically minded you are. But if i had a piston blow on me, i would have ordered one same day (Funds permitting) and had it slapped in asap, job done. An R engine is just like every other engine, it breaks you fix. No point in going for expensive rebuilds when you dont need to/cant afford it.

 

[one Gti-R]

However I think your alot better saving up the money and buying new pistons and doing the job ONCE and doing it properly.

Not really a viable option at the moment unfortunately. It would probably take me another 9 months to raise the sort of money necessary for even a basic rebuild (I've been quoted 3500Euro for forged pistons, honing, lightening, balancing, stripping & assembly) whereas the option above would only cost a fifth of that at an estimated 600 Euro (no labour charges at all).

On top of the cost of that the car would have to be insured again (1k) be taked (600Euro), needs new wheels, needs an NCT. It all adds up to being too expensive to rebuild properly.

Even an engine swap would be a good deal cheaper with sourcing an engine costing no more than 1500. Assuming it came complete i could sell off the anciliaries like intercooler, manifolds, throtle bodies, turbo, afm etc to make most of my money back so it would still only end up costing around the 500-600 Euro mark.

Being realistic about my finances at the moment i really only have 2 options available to me if i want the car back on the road any time in the next 12 months and they are replace the single knackered piston, or replace the entire engine.

I see your point,

I am doing the same thing as you but I am doing most of the work myself so I don't have to pay labour costs which is saving me alot of $$$

Arias forged pistons oversized 40thou $900 aus or $350 GBP or $514 euro
that price is including rings. Something for you to think about

 

[GTI-R Kid]

Now i'm not being cheeky, as i'm not sure how mechanically minded you are. But if i had a piston blow on me, i would have ordered one same day (Funds permitting) and had it slapped in asap, job done.

I'm reasonably mechanically minded (studies it in college ) and most of the work will be done by a friend for free, so i'll be getting my hands dirty and i'm not worried about that at all.

The car was originally taken off the road for a year due to being unable to afford the insurance at the time, and it was almost a year later that the piston went bang. With it being stored 80 miles away from me the idea of slapping in a replacement wasn't really an option open to me.

oneGTI-R - didn't realise that Arias were so cheap (relatively speaking). But surely if i got them then i'd HAVE to fork out to get the cylinders honed to match the new pistons?

Thanks for the opinions and suggestions so far guys, keep em coming.

 

[one Gti-R]

Now i'm not being cheeky, as i'm not sure how mechanically minded you are. But if i had a piston blow on me, i would have ordered one same day (Funds permitting) and had it slapped in asap, job done.

I'm reasonably mechanically minded (studies it in college ) and most of the work will be done by a friend for free, so i'll be getting my hands dirty and i'm not worried about that at all.

The car was originally taken off the road for a year due to being unable to afford the insurance at the time, and it was almost a year later that the piston went bang. With it being stored 80 miles away from me the idea of slapping in a replacement wasn't really an option open to me.

oneGTI-R - didn't realise that Arias were so cheap (relatively speaking). But surely if i got them then i'd HAVE to fork out to get the cylinders honed to match the new pistons?

Thanks for the opinions and suggestions so far guys, keep em coming.

yeah you would but it would not be the $3500 you mentioned tho

I just look at it a little differently i guess, you spend a few hundered now an in 6 months there is the chance you will have to do it again.

all up shouldn't be much more than $1000-$1200 euros. to get it done with Arias pistons.

I know its not an easy decidion I amde only made it 2 months ago I decided to pull my car off the road for 6-12 months I already miss it but it will be back better than ever.

most of that time is saving money for the parts

 

[Websnowbo]

You can actually get the bores honed in situe, it is only about 40 quid if you have a local machine shop (i dont mean a glaze buster from Halfords :lol: )

I'm not sure if i would reccommend it or not, as long as you wash the block down afterwards very well, and i mean with degreaser and a jet wash. I ran an Engine Workshop a couple of years ago and we did hundred's in situe, we even bored blocks in situe.

If you are going to go down the Forged route, you need to check your bores to make sure they arn't out of tolerence for standard size pistons.

 

[GTI-R Kid]

Damnit! With all the options you're giving me my head is spinning with ideas! :lol:

I'm now thinking along the lines of building a proper bottom end, with new bearings, lightening, balancing, forged pistons and whatever else is needed, so that if somewhere in the future i feel the urge for silly power i won't have to strip it down again. Future power gains could focus on the head, cams, breathing and turbos with the bottom already being rock solid.

AAAAaaaaarrrgggghhhhhh.

one GTI-R - So where are the pistons available for the price you quoted (you can pm me if you'd prefer)? 1200 Euro to have a strong bottom end that i won't have to worry about doing again is quite a prospect!

Websnowbo - when you say in situe do you mean with the engine still in the car (with head and bottom removed)? I think the engine will be coming out, stripped out, and then if we are going the forged route the necessary bits will be sent away for the necessary work. What do you mean by checking the bores are within tolerance for standard pistons? Do you mean if i was replacing the existing with forged versions of the same size? Tolerances are one thing i'm not too familiar with.

 

[Websnowbo]

Yes, with you mentioning that you would have the cost of having the bores honed if you fitted Forged pistons.

If you are going to get all that work done you mentioned above ignore everything i have said, i was giving you idea's to keep it cheap as you said at the begginning of the thread that you wanted a cheap fix, hence the single piston.

It will work out a fair old bill for all the above.

 

[GTI-R Kid]

Cheap is the main aim, but i am open to ideas that wouldn't lead to silly bills too. 1,200 is indeed double the original idea i had in my head, but its still a damn site lower than 3,500 and as such is feasable! I'm taking all ideas on board at the moment and then will discuss with the better half as to which option we'll take.

Any further suggestions/opinions are very welcome from all.

And while i'm on the subject of feasable bills - where should i source a 1.2mm metal headgasket? I'm not too bothered about brand name once its up to the job really.

 

[skiddusmarkus]

I have a piston you can have for free as long as you pay postage and spend the money saved on new rings :lol: .
My headgasket cost about £130 or so from Kendo Tuning.

 

[one Gti-R]

PM sent

here is a link for others to check out.

http://www.horsepowerinabox.com/HPIAB2/category53_2.htm

 

[campbellju]

If it can be fixed cheap and you don't want more than 320bhp then just do it. I've gone down the do everything right route for the future taking 2 years and bleeding me dry in the process.

 

[GTI-R Kid]

Skid - if you're serious then i'll certainly keep it in mind. Thanks. Must get on to Habib now.

one GTI-R - pm replied to.

campbellju - i'd say target will probably be a reliable 300bhp. Nothing too lairy, as the car will probably be used every day once its back as it was before (managed to clock up nearly 25k miles in the first year of ownership). :shock:

 

[skiddusmarkus]

Yes mate I am.I have 4 but 2 are knackered so if you want it,I'll pick the best one out and send it to you.