Club 80-90 Forums

Yesterday I put the long awaited 2.1 engine in a 1.9 old case that I have lovingly built over the last 6 months into the van. I filled it with oil and removed the plugs to turn it over in order to get oil pressure. It took a long time in bursts of 5 seconds but eventually it came up to 95psi cold. Great I thought . Then I remembered that I had not connected the brown earth to the block above cylinder 4 on the head. So I looked for the bolt. I had used a 25mm bolt with two nuts screwed on it as I didn't have a shorter one. On this head though the tapping was not so deep so I used a couple of m6 stainless washers as well for now. Now for the first run. It started straight up but there was a noise like the worst tappets you have ever heard. Now this did not suprise me as I had noted that when setting the tappets just 10 mins after fitting them, three had already drained down. After a minute I heard the noise change, now that is not normal for a tappet so I shut her off quick. Could this be the crank hitting part of the case, could I have failed to clearance enough? In which case why did it turn over with the plugs out With no noises? I was so disheartened as the tick over was beautiful. So with a heavy heart I dismantled the engine and removed it from the van back to the shed. (Goodbye three days) What did I find when stripping it?
Piston 4 is battered on the top as is the head a little in cylinder 4 and a small lump of melted M6 washer is buried in the rim of the piston. Now where did that come from!!!!!!!!!!!! Clumsy Oaf!!!!
Under that earth connection is just one M6 washer.
So now I am short of a DJ piston. Does anyone happen to have a decent one just waiting to be part of my engine?
Wanted , DJ piston, will have a good home in cylinder 4.

Offf I feel for you, but it can be fixed

Give Campershack a call he will have the bits you need.

Visit The Campershack - Just T3s
LPG, Engine Rebuilds & Conversions
07813 324365

Does anyone know if the DJ piston on Brikwerks site is compatible with three originals? I have heard rumours that some new pistons have a different deck height?
https://www.brickwerks.co.uk/piston-com ... l?___SID=U" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Not DJ But got four usable MV pistons here you can have for nowt should you need them fella.

Your correct about the different stroke heights of the Pistons, have look at the link below

http://www.gowesty.com/tech-article-details.php?id=82" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The term is "compression height" and the problem seems to be with Brazilian 1.9 pistons being about 1mm short (Aircooled part?)

Ich fahre einen Bulli. Ich hilfe mir selbst...meistens!

The Chinese repro ones also seem to be 1mm short on the compression height. The one from Brickwerks is from a German manufacturer but I would of thought the best thing to do would be to measure against the existing just to make sure.

Can you ever be really sure who is supplying who these days ?

Hi Rob , THanks for the offer of the MV pistons but I do have a set of those already. I was hoping to go with the higher compression to suit my lpg. I thought I might put the MV's in my old 1.9 case if I can get hold of another 2.1 crank, then keep it as a spare.

I've had to order one from Brickwerks due to time constraints!!