So I got the motor nearly done and started cleaning engine compartment. Removed the FI brain to access the "hell hole" appropriately named as this is the only bad part on the car. There is some perforation bottom corner of the fire wall, looks like someone has been in here before.

Anyway made my order with POR-15 and should be able to fix it up for awhile. Also ordered some rattle cans to match the car color so I can cover the whole thing up and prolong the rust advance.

Back to the engine, heads are now port matched VERY little material taken off. Valves lapped, and all the fins cleaned up. (wish my hands were as clean as the heads). Pistons and cylinders also cleaned up. Have a question here there are no arrows on these 1.7L MAHLE domed pistons. Have a size stamp thats it. I think I my have kept the orientation correct but it is comforting to make sure. The Haynes manual shows the size stamp opposite the arrow. HELP anybody?

I had the same question. This is correct.



-Kevin

Is that what that symbol is.... I nearly pulled my eye ball out straining to figure out what the hell that was. My pistons are slightly more worn on top than those. Must have been scrubbed harshly at some point. Nearly no scuffing on the skirts though.

Thanks a million.

Those were "New" from John back in '02. Right now the engine isn't running because of this:



I'm going to have to buy a new plug and throw on another head to get 'er running again...

-Kevin

Damn that's ugly Kevin.

Yea, that plug made my trophy shelf...

-Kevin

I think you need some hotter plugs. Perhaps a high energy coil....



WTF???????

Do you have any idea what caused that?
That would be a SERIOUS bummer. It looks like the plug plasma cut the head or something....

Who needs a cutting torch when you have a 914? Right?

I went to just about every shop I knew asking them what they thought about it. A lot of guys gave me a pat on the back and said, "WOW! thats some good work you did there..." By the time I got to the local V-dub guy (furthest shop from my house) he said, oh yea, I've seen something like this once before... You probably had a very small crack in the head right at the spark plug hole. The exhaust gases slowly (a few revolutions) burnt their way through until they got through the plug.

When I posted this stuff on Rennlist back when I discovered it, John Larson said the same thing. I was bummed out. This was back in late December / early Jan. when I found it. The amazing thing is the plug came out with very little resistance. It didn't even feel like a cross thread until I got it about half way out!

I'm a junior at CSU Chico, and spent the better part of a week of my winter break messing with the teener, when I found this I was pissed off. I had a few drinks, and decided to come back to it during the summer. So the car is sitting in my dads garage (he's happy about that, let me tell you!). I have all the parts sitting around to fix it (I think I do atleast -- I'm not sure if I have a good right-side head though ), I just need to work on it -- which is hard when the car is 500 miles away...

I hope you enjoyed my pictures I have the plug, if I some one has a passenger seat for the WCC (I cant see spending over $100 if I come in a chebby) I can bring it for every one to oogle at...

-Kevin