[Vwdiesel] Rebore and head cracks

[Martin Kennelly]

I installed new pistons and rings and bearing shells about 12 months
ago. The engine still consumed oil, about 1 litre /500 km. After about
1000 km it ran rough and consuming more oil. I put the van into storage.
I dont remember if there was blowby or not.
I left it alone until now. I took off the engine and took out the
pistons and they look fine and with a layer of goo on top.
I discovered that one of the pistons had been installed on the con rod
the wrong way around.  This had been done in a work shop but I did not
check it at the time. I installed that piston in the correct position
but of course the conrod was the wrong way around.
Was that a major or minor crime?
The pistons with the con rod needed quite a few persistent gentle whacks
to get them out of the bores.
A possibility for the oil consumption might have been the gaps in the
oil rings with the spring in one or two pistons were not aligned
properly, I missed the opportunity to be exact with this diagnosis.
I have another block, original bore.  My  1000 km. pistons and rings are
1st or 2nd oversize, is it conceivable that I can get my block rebored
and use those piston and rings?

I have an extra cylinder head which visibly to a fading eye looks okay
except for cracks between the in and ex halves. I found this message in
my archives
> Subject:
>                        Re: [DIESEL] Cracks between IN & EX Valve..
>             Date:
>                        Thu, 21 Dec 2000 23:23:59 -0600
>            From:
>                        "Cotter" <cotter at mhtc.net>
>                 To:
>                        "steve delasalle" <sdelasal at yahoo.com>, <diesel at vwfans.com
> per the cracks--
> I have had several heads off/on   and still running----all with cracks
> one I thought was cracked very badly so I tried drilling into it and peening
> it shut which proved to be a wasted effort:
> I drilled deeper than I thought I should have   (  3/16 " ???)    and
> mashed it more than I thought looked appropriate as I peened in passion.
> I thought I ruined the head,  but put it back on the engine and drove it for
> a couple years.
> So, after all this you are asking yourself, what is this persons point---
> Do not worry about the cracks.

Does this advice hold water?

regards,  Martin