Last night I was cleaning up the top of my block ready to fit head and new copper gasket I noticed something funny No3 piston was sitting around 20thou lower than No2.
So off with the sump and out with the pistons and rods. Bearings are still perfect as is the bore and pistons bugger me No 3 rod has a bend in it!!!! Its got me stuffed how this has happened The headgasket had been sealing (no water for hydraulic lock) any other ideas???
Lucky I have a spare set Ill linish them up and send them off for a balance and bigger rodbolt fitup

It's a good thing you noticed..

Might have encouraged some "interesting" water leaks out the side of the block

Probably because they are wimpy plastic girls motors

I'm not what you would call mechanically talented, I'm learning slowy as the days go on. I would never have guessed it! How ever, I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOUR SIGNATURE!!!

Sorry, I'm bored.

dont you hat how those soft alloys get stuck under your fingernails.... ucky you didnt break one


(really bad sarcastic joke)

Very strange!! Maybe your right ive heard that before they are girly plastic motors
ahh well more power now I hope it made 190atw with a bendy rod.
I only wish I picked it up the proplem when I pulled the head of a few months ago. Time is not on my side for bathurst Ill have to pull the finger out

its not that easy a problem to pick, as you race your engine at times, the heat build up would cause some types of metal fatigue with the heat up and cool down process, as the rods are 4 separate parts, theres no guranteees if or when they may bend or break.
Having you been running the car harder with more boost lately. Have you re tuned t for the cahnge in the warmer weather, small things like this on a highly tuned machine can have dramatic effects.
All things you would have known already

Quote:
Where's the finger?

We knocked the head off my brothers FJ20 when changing the timing chains, just for a look. Same problem. Engine was still running fine, idle etc. . .

Anyway, a $500 bottom end was dropped in while the forgies were fitted. Apparently this is quite a common problem when running high cylinder pressures.

I dont know anything about CA piston and rod markings but is it possible that the piston has been fitted backwards onto the rod or even the piston itself is faulty and has been drilled for the gudgeon pin offset to the wrong side? By that I mean has it resulted in the rod being too vertical for crank rotation and at high rpm the force of the combustion stroke has first gone straight down the rod vertically into the crank before the angle between the rod and crank is sufficient enough to deliver rotational forces to the crank?
Either way half a millimetre is a pretty good find with just a visual inspection. Good thing you found it now though.

Cheers Steve

gee andrew that is a strange one...
and never noticed anything else with engine or its performance?

very lucky to find it
it could have been a lot worse...