#3 piston

Why are there so many rumours about piston #3 on flat fours? why is it the one the breaks first??

-- Paul Soames

1973 1303 Beetle -
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Reply to
Paul Soames
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It has had cooling problems by design.

Reply to
Olli Lammi

It's the one with the least cooling air flow on the pre-doghouse (pre-71) fan shrouds. Best place for a CHT sensor. The doghouse style had the oil cooler tin moved so it didn't block #3. I think the dates are right, but not sure.

Reply to
David Gravereaux
3 reasons.

1) less cooling air (or hotter cooling air) on non-doghouse engines

2) runs hotter due to exhaust restriction (heater box) 3) it's the last cylinder in the engine to get oil (it's the forward most cylinder, lowest oil pressure).

it's the only cylinder with all 3 problems, so it runs hottest.

John Aircooled.Net Inc.

Reply to
John Connolly

AND.................Every one I've seen as a short block says

" If #3 Piston is damaged , Warranty is void"

What happens is, If you time it too far advanced , it will blow a hole in #3 fairly quickly....................no matter how well, the rest of the installation is done. This is why Timing is so Crucial on the VW engine among other things.

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