After reviewing Jake's DVD, my question is; how do you align the piston in the cylinder before installing the wrist pin? I know that the arrow, on top of the piston, needs to point to the flywheel and that the wrist pin should be started before the cylinder is pressed onto the studs, but how do you align the piston and keep the small end of the conn rod in place before pounding the wrist pin into place?

-- Rob

If I understand what you are asking...

put the piston into the bottom of the cylinder until all the rings are inside the cylinder, but the pin hole is exposed. Make sure you have LOTS of oil on the rings and piston. Once in the cylinder, rotate the piston until it mates right.

OR!

install the piston to the rods first. Then put the cylinder on. No adjustments needed. I think this method is easier.

Zach

Zach, thanks... I was thinking of your second suggestion, but Jake recommends the previous.... For the first suggestion, I just wanted to be cetain that the piston was aligned properly before I tried to pound the wrist pin into the con rod and mess up the small end bushing.... I was thinking of trimming a wooden broom handle down to insert on the opposite side of the cylinder, through the conn rod...

-- Rob

First off, nothing in the engine is to be "pounded" in place.. In fact you should not even have a hammer in the tool box during assembly.

This is very easy to do.. The assembly can be held with one hand while the pin is gently pushed in with the fingers of your other hand..

Everything should slide together like lubricated glass, no tight spots, no stiff spots and do not pound anything!

Thanks Jake... I was being funny, but it didn't come across that way... I've been studying your DVD for several weeks, waiting for funds to have the heads rebuild... and was just trying to get a very good understanding of the steps needed... I had the wrist pin bushing replaced and the pin fitted so there should be no binding and no POUNDING.... BTW, I only have a rubber mallet in my tool box...

-- Rob

The pistons go in from the top (Zach) unlike you would think.
If you put them in from the bottom, you will break a ring or two.

Then you slide the piston down the nicely lubricated cylinder that you prepped and like Jake said...you can do it, you just reach in and hold the rod up and wiggle it...the wrist pin will slide in.

Do put the wrist pin retainer on the side you cannot reach before you do this...

Rich

Rich,

It depends on the cylinder set as to whether you put them in from the bottom or top.

Some sets have a tapered corner on the bottom inner edge of of the cylinder to help compress the rings as they go in from the bottom. Others have sharp inner corners on both top and bottom and no matter which end of the cylinder you use, you will require a steel band clamp to compress the rings. I use a home made band clamp mande from a piece of thin springy steel.

Or, you can be like me- anal. I align the ring slots correctly on the piston and then use the band clamp to compress the rings. Then I push the piston and compressed rings into the tapered bottom of the cylinder. Finally, the assembled piston and cylinder is attached to the rod sticking out of the case.

Either way, slow and careful with lots of checking is best.

I've done it piston attached to rod and slide on cylinder, and piston in cylinder first, then attach to rod. Any of the above ways work.

Attaching the piston to the rod and then attaching the cylinder can require some finesse removing the homemade band clamp.

"Nicely lubricated cylinder"? NOT in MY shop, or any other shop in which I've worked. Aircooled pistons and rings go in dry, water pumpers go together wet. I have yet, in over 36 years of professional engine building, to build an air cooled engine that didn't fire up with already seated rings, and I've never built one that became a smoker, either. Personally, I install the pistons on the rods, then install the cylinder, using a nice Hazet ring compressor. As for guides and alignment aids, the proximity of the case flange on the flywheel end of a T4 makes it difficult, if not impossible, to use them on 1 and 3. Jake may disagree with my philosophy, but it's worked well for me throughout my career.

The Cap'n

When possible I prefer to install the piston into the cylinder then slide the pin through.. There are many instances when we have to install pistons first because the oil ring is lower on the piston than the wrist pin thats been raised to allow for long strokes and rods..

I always lubricate rings, cylinders and pistons to the point of being sloppy. Like Cap'n Krusty I have also not had an issue with ring seating in years... ANY two parts I assemble will be thoroughly lubricated, no matter what they are, including rings.
The key to ring seat is proper ring tension, proper surface finish on the cylinders and proper ring materials all that coupled to a really nice plateau finish...

This is a matter of personal preference, which is what gives engines a bit of character... The only wrong way to do it is the way that causes a problem.

I still do it the way I learned from The Idiot's Guide to VW Repair. Piston on first, rings carefully aligned, and ONE DROP of oil on my fingertip smoothed around the inside of the cylinder. Any leftovers from that one drop go on the ring compressor. No smoking or rings not seating here either, except for that one time, but that's a different story.

Holy shit! Rob had a question and my phone did not ring all day.
Must be my lucky freaking day.

Quite certain one of the KB stroker pistons would have straight killed him.

Thanks everyone for your replies...

Joe, I didn't want to wake you from your naps...

-- Rob

A smart dog never shits where he sleeps.