rings

[rowlers]

My valver smokes like a trooper when larging it. Assuming its the piston rings.

What is the crack with replacing them? Could it be a DIY job at my mate garage? Anything I'll need to know before doing them? Is it a full engine out job or can you do them from underneath? Don't really want to take a soon to be newly fitted head back off!


Cheers

[Gambit]

you can do it with the block in the car - all you need is the head & sump off

do one cylinder at a time that way you have no chance of mixing end caps

starting at cylinder 1, mark the end cap back before you take it off - the piston & end cap must be re-fitted EXACTLY the same way it came out - though from what i can remember there is notches in the end cap and con rod end to make sure this does not happen

undo the end cap and then push the piston and conrod up out of the top of the block. and replace the rings on that piston, its also worth replacing the bigend bearings at the same time

you'll need to hone each cylinder also

and you will need a piston ring squasher inorder to refit the pistons - basically its a big clamp you put round the rings inorder to compress them to allow you knock the piston back down in.

and torque up all bolts to the correct spec!!!

maybe replace the oil pump when your at it!!

[ChrisO GolfO]

Damn thats a lotta work 

Rowlers if you do decide to do it all perhaps see if you could write it up abit because I would be thinking about doing similar to 8v...

[Judderi]

Can you not do it without taking the head off? Could you not drop the piston out the bottom? But how would you re hone the bores? Mmmmm maybe not.

[Gambit]

there's also the small issue of getting the piston past the crank

[Judderi]

Take the crank out.

[Gambit]

its bolted to the fly wheel.

[rowlers]

so basically this should be done before i fit my new head!!!
Well can't be arsed, and can't afford at the mo, so It'll have to continue smoking for a while!!

I also thought I'd read somewhere that you can take them from the bottom, sounds like alot of work either way!

How much we talking for parts you reckon?

cheers for the replies guys,

[Gambit]

parts are not dear at all - should only cost about £60 for a set of rings & bearings

it really is worth doing it now if you have the head off!!

[rowlers]

head will be coming off in the next few weeks, to put my gas flowed one on. As you say may as well do it then!

vwspares for the new rings? Anything else i need or should replace at the same time?