Hello, I recently bought a 97 wagon 2.0 with bad head and damaged piston. I have the head off, and the top of the #4 piston has fairly light damage from the valve seat coming loose and of course the head is damaged. I will be buying a rebuilt head and related off ebay, but hoping to find an assembled good standard size piston/rod assembly. Anyone have a source? Thanks! Boyce
I went to my local machine shop. That had all the used parts I wanted, including Pistons and rods Tapatalk
Thanks guys, I will check locally at the machine shops here. Worst case scenario I'll just buy a new rod and piston. Now about my two broken head bolts...will I need to put heat on them to get them out or just soak with penetrating oil and use my vise grips?
I have dealt with a total of three snapped head bolts on three engines. Each of them had broken off above the block. After a day or more of soaking with penetrating oil, each of them unscrewed fairly easily with vise grips. Be sure to use a thraed tap to clean out all of the holes for the head bolts before reassembly. I use an air nozzile to blow out the dust from the tap.
OK as advertised a little penetrating oil and vice grips and they came out pretty easily. I popped the piston out and the pin area looked fine, however I found the piston ring area had pinched down and the top compression ring is stuck in the groove. The cylinder wall still looks good (not going to risk measuring it! lol) I picked up a piston and rod from my local machine shop. My rebuilt head is here, just waiting on the rest of my parts order to start putting it back together. Wish me luck!
Good that you found that damaged piston. I think the blowby gases around that stuck ring would soon have caused the piston to fracture - resulting in worse damage. Good Luck!
I want to thank everyone here who offered help and advice, and posted your own experiences with their engine repairs. I started mine up yesterday for the first time, and it ran quiet and smooth. AND only 4 left over bolts, ha-ha!