I recently had someone throw in a 2002 Durango to sweeten a trade for a classic Mustang. Turns out it has a blown head gasket. I've got the motor taken down to the point at which the next step is to put the new gaskets on and then reassemble. However, I must find and eliminate the cause of some damage to pistons in cylinders 1, 2, 5, and 6 and eliminate before I proceed.
I am including photos. The most severe damage is to the number 1 piston. There's a crescent shaped area on the edge of the top of the piston that looks like it has been chiseled away. (see attachment 1). There is similar damage to the piston in cylinder 5 (see attachment 2, and to a much lesser extent the pistons in cylinders 2 and 6.
i have a theory. Since there is corresponding malformity on the cylinder head, directly above the damage on the piston, I'm prone to suspect the previous owner tried to fix the head gasket the lazy way and misapplied some barsleak or liquid steel half ass "repair" product, which solidified with some pistons at the very top of their stroke and bonded the piston to the head. Then when they started the motor later, the broke the adhesions and torn chunks of anodized metal out of the pistons.
But all that is just conjecture. Thet other pics are of the two hole and the six hole...the two with evidence of the same damage, but just a bit...but it's obvious igt's tghe same vause. It's the same sliver of a moon shape, and the same position on the piston.
I don't want to sink a bunch of cash into this truck. I'm thinking about reassembling it, taking special care to ensure there are no defects that would damage the new head gasket, then driving it till the wheels fall off.
Anyone seen this type of damage in the cylinders before? If I do decide to put some money into it, I'm leaning toward swapping in a different motor, rather than sinking cash into a motor with mysterious crap in its past.
Thanks in advance for any help or advice you can offer.
Peace.
I am including photos. The most severe damage is to the number 1 piston. There's a crescent shaped area on the edge of the top of the piston that looks like it has been chiseled away. (see attachment 1). There is similar damage to the piston in cylinder 5 (see attachment 2, and to a much lesser extent the pistons in cylinders 2 and 6.
i have a theory. Since there is corresponding malformity on the cylinder head, directly above the damage on the piston, I'm prone to suspect the previous owner tried to fix the head gasket the lazy way and misapplied some barsleak or liquid steel half ass "repair" product, which solidified with some pistons at the very top of their stroke and bonded the piston to the head. Then when they started the motor later, the broke the adhesions and torn chunks of anodized metal out of the pistons.
But all that is just conjecture. Thet other pics are of the two hole and the six hole...the two with evidence of the same damage, but just a bit...but it's obvious igt's tghe same vause. It's the same sliver of a moon shape, and the same position on the piston.
I don't want to sink a bunch of cash into this truck. I'm thinking about reassembling it, taking special care to ensure there are no defects that would damage the new head gasket, then driving it till the wheels fall off.
Anyone seen this type of damage in the cylinders before? If I do decide to put some money into it, I'm leaning toward swapping in a different motor, rather than sinking cash into a motor with mysterious crap in its past.
Thanks in advance for any help or advice you can offer.
Peace.
