John Rodgers wrote:
> Later, when there was a loud POP, and smoke everywhere, just like
> the smoke in Santa Fe,  was again and announcement something was
> radically wrong.

John, I wonder if the loud POP was actually the crankcase vapors (which
would contain gasoline from all the blow-by through the bad piston)
igniting via the hole in the piston?  That would create a huge amount of
pressure in the engine from the explosion, and would be pretty likely to
blow out the valve cover gasket.

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David Brodbeck, N8SRE
'82 VW Diesel Westfalia
'94 Honda Civic Si -- For Sale
'86 Volvo 240DL wagon