What happened to this then less than 400 miles.

Not the muppet?

 

Just that she was driving along and it lost power and started chuffing smoke out. I gave it to her with a new Accuspark SVDA fitted. She has brought it back with a electronic ignition distributor with no vacuum on. The same garage fitted the inlet manifold etc from a longblock. When she picked it up from me it was shown running, I then removed all the gubbings and popped it in her car.

 

Puts you in a difficult situation, but nothing you've done at the end of the day!!

 

She has been good about it, no ranting or shouting. I feel she should get on to the garage that built it up from longblock ? They were new pistons and Barrels

 

I guess 90% of engines that go pop are nothing to do with the engine builder but the guy that fitted them and set it up ....perhaps you should of built the whole lot up for her but hindsight is a wonderful thing ....

 

It happens dude!!

Just make sure you pull it right down and check the bearings!! That metal from the piston will have worked its way into the sump, and on a type one with no full flow oil filtration will have pumped particulates round the engine

 

Mmmm Its just bloody annoying. Its got one of those chrome pancake air filters, a soppy little breather hanging off the oil filler. Its all just not as VW intended

 

The main chunk was embedded in the head believe it or not.

 

I would put all the bits on a box and hand back if you got a long block from one of the big suppliers and took it to them with things missing and incorrectly fitted they put you on your bike and ask you not to return

Does this not void any warranty

Do you need customers or friends of friends like these

 

It won't feel good, but that's about the size of it.

 

I'd be concerned about who removed the dizzy and why?....sounds like someone's nicked it....trouble is, it's your word against that of the garage....unless you've got pics, receipts etc.
If you can establish the fact that it was this that caused chronic detonation (which it more than likely is) the lady in question would have sufficient grounds to get a full refund and costs to have the repairs undertaken elsewhere....worth the hassle IMO
Don't know what sort of temps are required to compromise manifold boots, but the jubilee clips are an additional testament to sub standard workmanship...she'd have a pretty good case. Easily backed up by an Engineers' report (From Zed, Paul, Laurie etc.)

Can you name the Garage on here, so others don't receive the same shoddy treatment?

Also...find out if the customer paid for the work on a Visa/Debit Card....she may well be covered for faulty goods/services and additional expenses incurred as a result. Poor thing

 

Last time I saw a piston like that I pulled it out of a 5 gt turbo after I put a bleed valve on it and it fell off


What are the heads like bet the valves are flooked

 

The thing that bugs me about this kind of issue, is that if you're not competent, or confident to undertake this kind of work yourself, you put your faith in 'professionals', and pay a premium for it...The cowboys charge similar rates to the real McCoy, because that's the going rate...and there are plenty of cowboys in the VW scene IMO

 

Last time I saw a piston like that it was in @tuesday_wildchild 's engine. The timing was way out.

Engines can be an unhappy business. I steer my customers towards one builder who I like and I know is happy I'll fit their engines correctly. Neither of us has a bother. If there was a problem with one of his engines, I would fix it myself if possible. It's happened once - a leaky flywheel oil seal. Builder simply pays me for my time so there's minimum messing about for customer, builder or myself. If something went wrong that was down to me, it would be obvious and I'd cover it - what would be the point of blaming the builder - he'd know as soon as he looked at it.

It looks like the builder-upper/fitter is at fault to me. And he's nicked the distributor? Or maybe someone else, shortly before if went bang, swapped the distributor unknown to the owner. A distributor thief that leaves another in it's place sounds unlikely, but if it'd been swapped c/w clamp it would have run and the timing would almost certainly have been out.

 

that's the key to it....the fact that it was a new dizzy....someones had away with it....see if any of the scrotes in the garage (or their mates) are running a bug/bus....you'll probably find the culprit

 

Before you dismantle it further, I'd check what the timing's currently set to - can do this reasonably accurately statically with a bulb or meter.

I wish I'd done this on the exploding engine that originally came with my van

 

She still has the distributor, they gave it back to her. They said it was the wrong one !!!!

 

That means they have assumed responsibility for the ignition timing. The melted piston occurred on their watch! Their problem not yours.

 

What does the head and plug look like on that cylinder?

 

All looks fine