[Vwdiesel] Vac pump and rings

[LBaird119 at aol.com]

In a message dated 1/6/2011 6:41:15 AM Pacific Standard Time, 
tgott at hotmail.com writes:

> Loren- how hard is it to get the total seal rings out on an older engine 
> where that top inch or so is smaller in diameter due to the carbon and lack 
> of rings wearing on it. I won't be putting in rings anytime soon but I am 
> interested in them. 
> 
> 

  I've never had a ridge that was enough to keep me from getting a piston 
out.
If it is then you can ridge ream or sandpaper a taper on the bottom of it 
until 
it'll let the trapped rings out.  Racer friend ran TS rings in something 
like 5 
different engines over at least that many seasons.  :-)

  Where I read about using soap and water to wash a honed bore said 
implicitly DO NOT use solvents to clean a honed bore!  The solvents let 
the small particles go deeper into the pores and accelerate wear.  Can't 
remember just where I read it but it was very clear on that.

  I finally ran a thickest head gasket on something, pickup maybe.  The 
pistons 
are low enough on it that it could use a 0 notch head gasket if they made 
one.
Engine response was more sluggish and slightly less power.  I was expecting 

slightly more.  Starting was minimally affected but it did take a little 
glow on 
warm mornings where I could just crank an extra second or two with no glow 
before.
    Loren