[Vwdiesel] Piston Recommendations?

[LBaird119 at aol.com]

In a message dated 6/24/2010 4:26:38 PM Pacific Daylight Time, 
william at taygan.com writes:

> Really I'm looking for the steel reinforcing rings, I assume the NA
> pistons don't have them and the TD pistons do?  I got that impression
> from the Parts Place catalog, but I don't always trust their claims ;)


  I think all the diesel pistons have the steel ring lands on the top ring, 
TD or NA.
Actually I'm durn near positive they do.  The only difference I know of 
between 
the NA and TD pistons is the notch for the squirters.  I haven't quite 
decided 
if they have different ring thicknesses or if that's maybe a 1.5 vs 1.6 
thing.

> 
> Just thinking of using stronger parts in the big van.

  TD crank IS different but they're all forged...  I think the surface 
hardening on the journals is thicker on the TD (seems I heard/read 
that somewhere) but that's gone if it gets reground.

> 
> ..and does it make sense that the German TD pistons are cheaper??
> 

  Quantity (supply and demand).   Likely most of the world had/has 
more TD's than NA's so more TD pistons are out there. Since they 
interchange, it doesn't hurt to make more/exclusively them and use 
them instead of NA pistons.
    Loren