So... I got STD vitara's from someone on here with scat rods... I'm finally getting close to putting it all together and when measuring the pistons skirts they ALL measure out under 2.9500... 2.9483-2.9489.

I'm using Summit micrometers so I figured something might be off so I measured the stock pistons that are out of the car and they came in at 2.952x... so it's not the mics'.

Am I totally screwed? Has this happened before to anyone else?

If I get the skirts coated can you make up that much space?

I just keep running into problems... I think I'm cursed....

 

i know what ya mean cuz i pulled my stock pistons out and just dropped the vitara's in my block and they were a little looser fitting than the stock pistons but im guessing as long and the rings mic out it should be fine

 

STD vitara's are just not big enough on any stock bore d16 in my opinion, unless its a full race motor. I would get some 75.5 or 76 and bore the block.

 

ugh. This really blows, It seems like everytime I try to save a couple bucks I end up costing myself twice as much money.

If i have to order new pistons I'm literally JUST rods,bearings/rings away from having two builds.

and since I have the standard length Scat rods at this point I should just order name brand pistons so I can get a better compression ratio.

I still haven't taken apart my 'new' engine I got from the junkyard but I doubt the bores are going to be tight enough for these pistons... WTF.

At the same time I'm planning on basically daily driving it (well whenever I want to which is most of the time as long as it's running well) and I'm not easy on my cars so if it's on the high end of acceptable tolerances I might just run them... I don't mind the engine being a little slappy but I'll **** myself if it rattles itself loose and tears apart the block.

Anyone know how tight the Darton Sleeves are? A friend of mine will sleeve the block with dartons for 200 bucks.... if the new sleeves will be tight enough I might do that.

Just tired of spending so much G-dam money on a car that will NEVER return the investment in anything other than enjoyment (and that's only if it doesn't blow).

 

It works just fine. Its a little sloppy in the P2W area, just let the motor warm up before you go drive it. I've had standard bore Vitaras in my my EK for a while now. 3k miles N/A breaking it in, 7k miles turboed, still running awesome. Just sold it to a guy that beats the crap out of it, still running great, and i know he's put another 3k miles on it. And thats at over 300whp on 92 octane.

 

i guess thats why every one of the biggest HP vitara setups uses 75 bore eh? ya right pal.




welcome to 2009 OP. use the pistons you wont have any problems.

 

well I've still got to get the replacement block torn down. I'm going to see how straight the cylinder walls are... If it's got to get line honed to any serious degree I'd rather use the 75.5's and set the ptw clearance... I'd def prefer not to have one of the super slappy vitara motors. Engine's loud enough with the cam/valvetrain...

Anyone got 75.5's for sale?

Although I'd also like to just get some forward motion going.

Of course this week I'm going to try to get the LSD installed and see what bearings/synchros need replacing. Then onto tearing down the replacement motor.

 

Most if not all those "big hp" cars are NOT daily drivers. They are race cars. If you run them on a daily, thats your choice, but a piston slapping around is nothing but problems. I had STD pistons on my first vitara build, sounded horrible and started smoking and had major blow by within a few thousand miles.

 

Yeah this is by no means a track car... I plan on driving it pretty much daily even though it's my second car.

 

I hate to sound rude, but the info has been out there quite a while. I found that out myself almost 4 years ago.

In the past year FJT has come out with 75.5mm pistons an option, along with making custom-length rods availible, which raise vitara CR a full point. The rods also give a better RS ratio, and increase quench by reducing piston-deck height.

Look at it from my perspective. I went and got Wiseco's not long before 75.5mm vitaras were an option. That's $300 extra I spent that I really didn't have to. I'm happy with them though, they take everything I throw at them, and are super-quiet with a .0035" p2w clearance.


What I'd suggest for the best HP per dollar would be to sell the scat rods and vitara pistons, then get custom rods and 75.5mm pistons. That's still cheaper than custom pistons.

 

lol vitara's have always been undersized. its perfectly fine for what your doing. many many many many many many many people have used them daily for lots of miles with no issues at all. my original vitara block is still plugging away 4 years later and its daily driven. dont worrry.

 

Believe me I've always been a strong adherant to if you put it together it will work... it's just that I've gotten pretty spendy with basically every aspect of this build... so it seems stupid to chince out on the cheapest aspect...

There's a user on here selling a 75.5 vitara/fjt rod combo that's been swaintech coated... price is a little high IMO... and like I said I am tired of spending money...

LOL... if I buy those pistons/rods I will literally be a fuel pump and chipping away from 2 FULL setups.

Gotta remember the whole plan then buy thing in the future.

I'm probobly going to go to the station tonight or tomorro and take the rest of the engine apart and see where the Cyl. Walls stand.

Keep the opinions coming.

 

FYI most skirt coats don't last very long, in terms of making up for p2w clearance. The thick coating wears away fast, and the impregnated parts are what really lube it.

The nice thing about new parts, they will sell for very little loss. There's also always someone looking for what you've got, if you know where & how to sell.

 

if you sell your 75mm's and opt for 75.5mm's now your going to pay for bore and hone from the machine shop...more $$$. if your tired of spending money, just drop the 75's in and forget about it. its been proven to work more times than i can fathom in the last 5-6 years. will this motor handle 200k of daily abuse? no. will it handle anything you throw at it for the next 4-5 years of daily driving and beating the hell out of it? of course. be realistic with what your trying to build here....

 

All good points.

Machining is next to free for me though... actually at this point it might be free. I get it done through a friend who gets work for next to nothing from a guy who builds TONS of race motors... they used to work together... my friend owes me money so he'd probobly pay for it out of his pocket to deduct off his debt. (to darton sleeve the block the guy was going to charge me 200 bucks. bore/hone was like 80).

If I can find some 75.5's or the guy with the fjt/75.5's wants to make a deal then I'm probobly going to go that route... I'd much prefer a quiter running engine...

But if I can't get a hold of a set fairly quickly I'm probobly just going to go ahead as is.

 

 

I thought they were unavailable.. there's a seller on ebay selling them now... I'm probobly just going to pick up the 75.5's for peace of mind.