2.1 WBX engine rebuild noob....

[silverbullet]

Those pistons dont look like OEM Mahle/VW. Any makers marks inside?
PS Scrub that. Think its just the mobile camera lens making it look strange.

[sherlylock]

Those pistons dont look like OEM Mahle/VW. Any makers marks inside?
PS Scrub that. Think its just the mobile camera lens making it look strange.

Yep - VW/Mahle AO11 +94V13

Your DJ pistons seem to have a hump in the middle of the combustion chamber, Mine are flatterer!! Just out of interest are the german piston rings cast iron for 1st and 2nd ring or chrome for 1st and cast iron 2nd?

Interesting - wonder why they're different? What numbers have you got cast into yours?

With regards to the rings do you mean the new ones I'm using or the old ones that came off?

Here's where I am now - all four pistons cleaned, ring end gaps checked in the bores, new rings fitted.

[silverbullet]

They look normal to me in that last pic

[ajsimmo]

They look normal to me too. Not seen any humpless dj pistons.

[sherlylock]

They look normal to me too. Not seen any humpless dj pistons.

They look normal to me in that last pic

Coolio - good stuff.

Next up - con rods. New old stock, covered in waxy protective substance. Best way to get this off? I'm assuming brake cleaner is my friend for this task? (followed by a light coating of oil to protect)

[123-jn]

I was meaning the new rings rather than the old ones and it looks like your top rings are chrome from the pictures which is what I thought, They are harder and wear less than the cast iron top rings but require a good depth of hone to help them bed in. The rings I have are cast iron top and middle and a similar oil control ring with chrome rails. Mine are the same make I used on my last 1.9 build (Grants) american made, the present engine bedded in nice and quick and delivers good compression and reasonably low blow by so I thought I would use them again. I would guess that mine will not last as long as the chrome alternative!! I like your con rods, I am reusing the old ones but with new non-stretch bolts.
What did you decide to do with the core plugs? I was browsing on the net the other day and I saw a set of NPT screw in plugs to fit all the galleries on a waterboxer the only problem is I can't remember where. If I remember I will post a link. Here it is.

http://www.coolairvw.co.uk/Item/Shop_by ... g_Kit.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[sherlylock]

I was meaning the new rings rather than the old ones and it looks like your top rings are chrome from the pictures which is what I thought, They are harder and wear less than the cast iron top rings but require a good depth of hone to help them bed in. The rings I have are cast iron top and middle and a similar oil control ring with chrome rails. Mine are the same make I used on my last 1.9 build (Grants) american made, the present engine bedded in nice and quick and delivers good compression and reasonably low blow by so I thought I would use them again. I would guess that mine will not last as long as the chrome alternative!! I like your con rods, I am reusing the old ones but with new non-stretch bolts.
What did you decide to do with the core plugs? I was browsing on the net the other day and I saw a set of NPT screw in plugs to fit all the galleries on a waterboxer the only problem is I can't remember where. If I remember I will post a link. Here it is.

http://www.coolairvw.co.uk/Item/Shop_by ... g_Kit.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks for that link John......tempted to do these, belt and braces and all that. Any reason why I cant drill and tap these myself (I'm quite handy with the tools) or is it best to entrust this job to a machine shop?

Gave the outside of the LH case half a final good scrub and used some POR15 engine enamel that I had "in stock" to tidy it up a bit......ready to start building into!

[123-jn]

looks nice and tidy!!! If you are good with taps and have a set of npt taps why not. I haven't got any NPT taps so I've left them well alone apart from the leaky one as good taps are expensive and I have been known to mess up before!!! They are probably best done while you are at it if you have the tools and the skill as it is a better solution than core plugs. I will probably live to regret it!!! I should have my hjoned liners back tomorrow so will also be ready to start building up

[sherlylock]

Just going through the crankshaft bits and pieces giving everything a good clean prior to reassembly and in cleaning the camshaft gear I've noticed quite a nice spiral groove on the face of the gear.....guessing this isn't a standard feature?!

[123-jn]

I haven't had one like it? Perhaps it is to direct oil out to the teeth?

[silverbullet]

Its just a turning mark from when it was made. No significance.

[sherlylock]

Its just a turning mark from when it was made. No significance.

Wow - interesting....so the tool hasn't quite pulled clear before indexing away? (after cutting the chamfer?)

[sherlylock]

About time I updated this thread as it's coming up to nearly a year of no action!

Rebuild didn't happen last year for various reasons (usual financial and time constraints)

Anyway.....I've started back on it over the last week or so (and been asking a few daft questions over on the fb waterboxer group).

So here it is.....I've got everything to a first stage degrease/degunge level (with most effort put into cleaning the case halves) ready to start working through the assembly process in detail.

Silly questions to follow and plenty of photos....

[itchyfeet]

Excellent, I like the curved bench

[sherlylock]

Excellent, I like the curved bench

Haha! Yep - it's my speshul engine builders bench......

First up - need to find a piece of tubing of the right size to use as a tool to drive the cam-drive gear back onto the crankshaft. Loving your solution of using a scaffold joining piece Itchy.....might have to pay our local scaffolders a visit for one