Dave7CDMTYPER wrote: ↑Mon Apr 03, 2023 9:47 pm
aw614 wrote: ↑Sun Apr 02, 2023 7:00 pm
Back in 2017, it was recommended when I went with the local machine shop and I just went with that.
But that was also my first time putting a short block together and a ton of mistakes were made
. I think I would have still gone with 81.5 as there seems to be more options piston wise. Honestly, Im still shocked that motor lasted 20k miles as is with the amount of autocross and track days I did on it and how much it burned...
This is my first time doing a short block too. If you want to share any wisdom you gained, by all means. Or assembly procedures/processes that you wished you would have learned. I am really trying to do this process in the right way, so that everything runs great when put back together. I am putting fair amount of time and money into the project, which is motivating me to do it correctly.
On the first build, I should have trusted my gut over my friend's and gone with the tighter piston ring gap and follow the manual on piston ring orientation. After I redid things on the current engine, I don't have the smoke or the crazy consumption the previous setup had. I still consume some, but a whole 5 quart jug of oil will last me 2.5k to 3000 miles and not 1000 miles with a mix of autocross, an occasional track day and driving to and from events. And I don't have a dirty bumper full of oil. Now instead of oil that gets on my bumper, it's just dirt, (who knew, but the rear end gets as dirty as my GTI does with just dirt). Both motors made identical power, but one doesn't smoke
Both made around 180 whp, which I am fine with.
Also expect the unexpected. I went through so many random issues during the first start up, oil leaks and coolant leaks. The rear main seal I used at the time leaked a bunch of oil and the trans had to be pulled out. Additionally, another oil leak was found due to forgetting the oil pump o-ring that I discovered months later, thinking it was the oil pan gasket...
With coolant, the water pipe wasn't in all the way so it weeped a bit and I had issues with the hose clamps I originally used (non-oem spring loaded clamps) and the water pipe was not seated all the way in on the water pump side. .
I suspect due to excessing idling during the first start trying to figure out why the coolant would keep dropping during the bleeding processto see it on the ground along with an oil leak. I probably did not get a good break in of the motor.
The second go around, worked with another friend on assembling the short block and head, and got it timed. he did most of that, but the other stuff that I was more comfortable with, I did, like the water pipe, cooling lines, oil pan gasket, etc. I really wish I had consulted with him on the assembly and build the first time, but he was going through personal things at the time like going back to grad school, etc.
