Well I finally got around to pulling my engine apart to find out what happened.

The backstory I was returning from an event somewhere when about a mile from home I hear a awful noise and loud clatter. I had no loss of power and drove the rest of the way home. Rented a trailer and towed to my Mom's and the engine finally got pulled out last year. Time passed and I finally startred to pull it apart. I had been thinking possible connecting rod bushing problem at the wrist pin as I did not rebush those at the time of the rebuild.
Well here is the results.

Question can the washer be machined out of the head?
Is the piston still usable?
Opinions welcomed.

asdf

That hppened to me on a V8 with Edelbrock heads ($1500). Mine was a screw. Just pried it out of the head and reassembled. drove it for several thousand miles then sold the car. It was a low compression engine so I didn't worry about hot spots. Ran just fine.

washer in head is not a show stopper, that can be fixxed, the piston is a bit more dicy, is the sides scuffed? how does it measure in diameter? however I bet that piston took quite a beating pounding the washer. pistons are often not repaired, just replaced, heads are more often repaired.

replace the piston! the ring land where the washer ended up is very likely compromised and will likely break.

Just so you know, I don't believe there's a single place on a 914 where an 8mm split lock washer is used. Well, maybe on the starter post. They're contraindicated for any place where aluminum would be in contact with the washer. That said, I wouldn't reuse the piston, and probably not the cylinder, either.

The Cap'n

Intake stud washer? Is the motor carbed? Just a thought... I;ve seen the same washer used to bolt the intake to the heads.

Given the impacts on the outside of the piston, there's a good chance the ring grooves were compressed.. Not sure if the cylinder needs replacing, but piston, for sure.. Heads can be machined, welded, and the finish machined...

Might be worth checking that connecting rod too...

Looks like the piston took the most beating. I would Roloc the worst off the head, try to find a replacement piston and cylinder and run as-is. Somebody has to have a decent piston and cylinder for a 2.0 laying around...

Or you can save the money, look for new everything, replace the heads and pistons/cylinders (wouldn't want to only do 1), do the bearings while you are in there (assuming they start making Type IV main bearings again) and then sometime in 2012 your car will be back on the road...

914's do look sporty when on jack stands

They don't? I've purchased 5 sets this year with one set being last week.

From where?

This is/was a fairly fresh rebuild. Hardly any miles on it. It was just starting to get broke in. Pistons and cylinders are Euro and no damage to cylinder walls cross hatching still there. The damage to the piston comes nowhere close to the ring lands. I think I am going to try and get the washer removed from the head and go from there. Right now it will be a while before it goes back into anything that is roadworthy.

good luck.

the nice impression that the washer left on the lower edge of the piston [in the picture] shows that the washer got folded over and repeatedly beaten in to the head and the piston. the location is on the top compression ring land, and i bet if you pull that ring off and mic the gap all the way around the ring land you will find that it is compramised and will most likely be cracked.

I will check that, but in looking at the piston there is more than a quarter inch from the top of the piston to the first ring land.

Classic example of inadequate fastener control during procedures around the intake manifold..

Upon disassembly ALL fasteners should be accounted for, intakes proven to be FOD free and the ports taped and sealed.

Washers are brutal, before ANY intake component goes onto an engine after service a magnet should be inserted into every port.

NEVER use stainless steel/ non magnetic fasteners on an engine!

Been there, done that and have the broken parts on my trophy shelf to prove it..

..........Replace the piston and cylinder they are trashed. ..The rod bearing on that cylinder will be flat spotted, and junk. it,s possable the connecting rod is bent, but the ROD bolts should be replaced.....center main bearings may also be flat spotted....the HEAD should be stripped , glass beaded and checked for cracks....then with porting tools/etc/ remove the scars and metal bits...check the valves for that cylinder, more than likely they will need replacing, and ,at a minimum that head should have the valve seats recut....stainless steel nuts and split washers should only be used on the exhaust sytstem and only for metal to metal securing., Never/against/ with aluminum.....

So you are saying he should run it as it??????

Sorry, I agree, but as the original poster is so optimistic, this doom and gloom post struck me as funny.

actually I would advise aginst split lock washer on teh exhaust system, too hot, teh metal gets soft adn the split lock losses it shape and becomes flat, adn wont dig in any more. for exhuast I use the self locking all metel nuts, copper p[lated to resist corosion in hot use, they work so well, never had one fail to hold, yet most of the split locks on teh exhaust i have ever re moved were flatted with no sprign shape after use on exhuast they were use less at that point for lockign

I knew I would get posts like me733's. I am taking in all the info and I have been on here long enough to know who's advice I trust, but in the end it is my ultimate decision whether right or wrong.

eh.... if it's a motor you don't have to depend on and don't care about chunking the rest of the parts go ahead and clean up the damage the best you can and run it till it blows or wears out or starts running like doodoo!


i fore see oil consumption and some shinny stuff in the filter and low compression in that hole.

and just don't sell that motor to rhody guy!

You wouldn't believe all the leaking exhaust systems I've seen with not only split lock washers but NYLOC nuts, as well!

And the dumb just keeps on comin'!

The Cap'n