I commend you for taking the high road, but I call bullshit on this one. It's not your fault you were sold something that you did not receive. And the fact that the car damn near burned down says a lot about the seller. We don't defame people here, but we DO call someone out when they've done something wrong (ask me how I know). Additionally, we look out for one another. If you decide to pursue recourse with this person, I'm sure folks here are in your corner.

Those are Chinese, cast iron clunkers... Nothing Nickies about those. Go slap the seller.

Thank you for the support. I feel like I bought a junk car, but received a container load of new friends.

The seller "Glenn Wright", operating as NineOneFourRacing out of Compton CA. Will be taken to court. I just received confirmation from LN-Engineering that these are indeed NOT Nickies. Coming from the Engineers themselves, the judge should side with me (or should I say US?).

We've been hearing a lot about this Glenn in Compton lately...

I only see one post from Glenn Wright...selling a car last year

Glenn Wright

Of note is how close the studs are to the actual cylinder.
You can see they just about touch.
On your picture there is quite a bit of space between the stud and cylinder.

And of course, the rtv is another clue.

$5500 new German high compression 96mm pistons- new Nikalsil cylinders
Also includes 6mo. or 6,000mi. Warranty

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/pts/5517889949.html

you should be under warranty ?????

Maybe that's the engine that was supposed to go in your car...

Although I'm not savvy enough to be able to tell if those are Nickies or not (don't look like it)

Maybe he'll want to avoid court and will swap motors

Be sure to screenshot the Craigslist ad before it is taken down... Evidence.

Be sure to screenshot the Craigslist ad before it is taken down... Evidence.

...

Those aren't nickies in the picture from the craigslist add, that's for damn sure. Typical black paint on the cast iron AA cylinders, and the valve reliefs cut into the piston tops is what AA does on their typical 96mm big bore kit.

Not to beat this to death. But if that's what the OP bought, I hope he didn't get " nickies" mixed up with Nikasil cylinder.. Nikasil is a coating.

Still would be aluminum.

European Motorworks has NiCaSil coated cylinders, but those in the picture for this thread don't look aluminum.



http://www.europeanmotorworks.com/vw/type-...-cylinders.html

While they certainly may exist, I have not seen cast iron cylinders with a nickel plating for a type4 motor.

I recall the biral ones for the 356, and other types for the six cylinders...

All I know of are these above, and the nickies from LN.

was it Lawrences motor? EMW did do that motor.
and they do use orange RTV.
1211 is so much better though.

I've tried it.
BTW it's still a silicone based product.... otherwise known as RTV

http://www.threebond.com.au/liquid-gaskets.html

Nickies TM are a trademark of LN Engineering, and have been for over 15 years.

Some cheap Chinese knockoffs (of course) do exist, and the sellers try to use the Nickies term to describe their product.
Nikisil is not a coating, its a plating comprised of Nickel, Silicon, and Carbide.. Not sure if the people coming up with NiCaSil product even know what the hell the composition is.

Its a sad time in this industry, but people keep getting away with lying, stealing, and selling junk.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikasil

Elring Dirko is also RTV based

http://www.amazon.com/Elring-Dirko-Silicon...d/dp/B00W97UPJI

I use Three Bond between the cam towers...as suggested by Dick Elverude in Portland.

I think that would be 1104 NEO, Some call it Yamabond, I use it as well.

Dirko because its German

Earlier this week there was some confusion about the size of the AA cylinders on my car. People at AA explained how to measure this from the outside. Conclusion is that they are indeed 103mm cylinders. H

Cool for that I guess.
I have used 103 cast cylinders more than a few times....they work.
I found that at about 10-15k miles you need to redo the rings.

Also, you need to manage heat really well.

saw the engine fire picture and have been skeptical when I see his ads on CL.

about the AA stuff. best to just avoid it? Whats a good place to get a nice overbore P&C setup that wont break the bank? I know you get what you pay for, but not everyone can afford/ or wants the best of the best. I also dont want chinese crap. Its all new to me

AA P&C's are fine, but the rings suck.

Yup

I feel the same with some of the products being made out of this country. But under the current state of economics, most are made over seas. Unless you want to step up for an "USA" made ...but it might cost you three to four times more.
I'm not sure that might be in your expendable income.
Good luck with your search search.

Sorry, it appears that I have to recall the message about the cylinders being the correct size. Just recieved an email from AA rep, explaning that I measured in wrong place. At the moment I still dont know what Size they are.

This is the medsage recieved from AA. Could anyone here decypher it? Im trying to find the cylinder size without disassembling the engine/heads.

Hello Hans

You got that number form the top of the liners not the bottom right? It was the head size? And you want to try to get it in between the head and the liner it can’t be in between fins it’s a different reading there..

Yes it’s an AA liner but what pitons can be someone elses you will not know until its pulled apart..

If you look at some of the pictures in this thread, I believe what they are asking you to measure is the outer diameter of the liner/cylinder where it goes into the head.
That will be the honest outer diameter of the cylinder.

If you measure in between the cooling fins you will be measuring casting material which won't be consistent and won't be a number they could use.

Look at the pics in this thread....there is a 1/4 in tall exposed area on the top of the cylinder that fits into the head. The cylinders don't sit down tight in the heads, so you should be able to get a tool in between the top fin and the head.

I remember this car was for sale for 9k 2 years ago. Then I think the engine blew up and it showed up 6 months later for 11k . The seller is a joke.

Nickies or not and those are not, you don't want 103mm cylinders. Very few can build that engine without making more heat than power.

Pop a head off and measure, there are no head gaskets on a 103, being AA I would doubt head gaskets anyways. At worse you will need new pushrod seals. $1 ea so $16 full set both sides. From what you are being told you should install new rings, about $80 from EMW.

If they are 103mm, the heads and case are machined, so you can't go back to smaller pistons.

A EMW NiCaSil set with JE pistons will run you $1300, I've never seen them so I can't comment on quality. LN Nickies are the best, but they are also $3400 plus the ARP head studs. So re-ringing what you have and understanding that this engine has a limited lifespan may be you best solution in the short term.

If you can't afford the nickies then I suggest putting this engine back together and start looking for a new project engine.
Or put this engine together and start saving for nickies. But I'd want to know what heads, condition of the long block, etc. before I when this route.
In the interim you can often find a 1.7/1.8 running engine for cheap.

Go back to the original posters 1st post, second paragraph.

"The car caught on fire"

I would think this issue needs to be made right and the buyer needs to be made whole before he starts on a new project engine.