Hi !
Does this piston looks like a Forged STI V2 piston, or more like a standard JDM ej20G piston ? :)

http://images4.fotki.com/v42/photos/1/17179/463762/piston_top-vi.jpg
http://images4.fotki.com/v42/photos/1/17179/463762/piston_side-vi.jpg
http://images4.fotki.com/v43/photos/1/17179/463762/piston_rod1-vi.jpg

Thanks for your help. This engine was sold and installed as beeing a STI V2 engine... but with pistons that looks casted, and full open deck block ... that looks more like a ej20G block, and that my friend got fooled.

but we need confirmations to proove it ! :\

I don't know the answer to what you're asking but I thought the US didn't get the EJ20G and that it was closed deck. Isn't the EJ20G what the Liberty RS and Euro Legacy turbos have? Didn't at least the first 2 STI versions also have the EJ20G?

If the block was open, then it was a standard EJ20G WRX engine. In 10/94 all STi engines went closed deck, and the STi v2 was a 1995 model. So, based on that information, I think your budy got duped.
This is why I tell people when shopping for clips/swaps always get VIN# and engine serial number so you can verifiy before you buy...:(

One other thing, EJ20G has been a lot of different things over the years and in a lot of different cars. There is no universal statement that covers what is an EJ20G...

First, sorry, i wrote USDM but wanted to write JDM.

Thanks for your info! that's a lot of help.

both the STI V2 and STI-V2-RA had closed-deck ?

To my understanding, the internals of the two models( STi and STi RA) are the same, it is more a matter of the trim levels and such. Here's a good chart for you to reference years and such...

http://www.importcarparts.co.uk/tech/model_codes.htm

That is one of the worst designed turbo pistons i have ever seen. The dish/ valve relieves are insainly thin. No wonder it blew out! I hope it wasnt from a STi.

:huh: IIRC the Liberty RS (AUS-NZ) and Legacy RS (Euro) both had closed deck EJ20G engines and they are from the early 90's. All pre 95.

Whoops,
my bad...Attached is the source document I was pulling my information from. This has floated around here for years, but for anyone that hasn't seen it, I have attached it. I re-read it and misposted above.

You are correct, up until 10/94 ALL EJ20's were closed deck. Then regular WRX's went open and the all variations of the STi stayed closed for the next few years...

EDIT:damnit, for anyone who wants this PDF written by Mike Shields about 4 years ago, shoot me a PM. It won't let me post the attachment and I don't have anywhere to host and link it:mad:

Here are the pics of the engine block ...

after reading your PDF, seem's that this is not a STI V2 engine block, and my friend got fooled ! :\

http://public.fotki.com/morgie/morgie/misc/piston_block_fredo/

Your friend definitely got scammed. The STi V2 engine is closed deck and your friend has an open deck. To top things off, that piston is fried.

From the exhaust manifold and engine condition, it seems the seller probably bought a busted motor from some junk yard, painted the exhaust manifold red to make people think it's an STi motor and sold it.

Yup that's now obvious.

He'll buy a 2.0l close deck short-block, or a ej22T shortblock to rebuild it. His seller will contribute into this so all his money is not completely lost.

But that thing made me find some good infos on how to differenciates close-deck from open-deck blocks, and what were the models / years that had close-deck.

i would not trust a seller who samed me once.

well, it's a small region here, we know well the seller, and it's not completely their fault...

They takes smashed cars, rebuild them, and sell them. For that particular car, they bought a STI V2 from japan. the engine looked STI, so they put it in the car without further investigations... and that's their big mistake.

they didn't verified if the engine they received from japan actually WAS an STI V2. (wich it was not ;) )

So that's why they'll participate, because they sold something that was not what they said it was.

dang, kinda sucks for them too.