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All original VW "Bruss" seals and factory Elring gaskets, but stamped R-C where the engine number should be. Flanged hex head bolts on the flywheel too, they look a bit Japanese to me.
Popped the heads to see whats going on and...
Well that explains why the oil smelled of petrol!
1985 Oettinger 3.2 Caravelle RHD syncro twin slider. SA Microbus bumpers, duplex winch system, ARC 7X15 period alloys
Head studs appear all good and none broke so its halfway decent. Now to see if the case has been hammered to death by the shrapnel trapped in the squish clearance or if it just has a bent rod...
1985 Oettinger 3.2 Caravelle RHD syncro twin slider. SA Microbus bumpers, duplex winch system, ARC 7X15 period alloys
Suspiciously new coolant pump points to a prior failure and massive overheating of #1 piston, possibly from a failed injector making it go lean.
The aluminium has melted and vaporised, there are small deposits in the combustion chamber but no mechanical damage.
#1 on the left, no carbon.
1985 Oettinger 3.2 Caravelle RHD syncro twin slider. SA Microbus bumpers, duplex winch system, ARC 7X15 period alloys
Classic ultra-lean burn under load, combustion temps leap up. The squish land has heated up, grabbed the cylinder, more friction, more heat and eventually the piston alloy melts and it has all gone down the exhaust port.
1985 Oettinger 3.2 Caravelle RHD syncro twin slider. SA Microbus bumpers, duplex winch system, ARC 7X15 period alloys