HELP Determining Nikasil or Ausil?

[tkporsche]

Can someone please help me to determine if my Mahle pistons and cylinders are Nikasil or Ausil? How can you tell the difference?

They are 95mm pulled from a 79 3.0. I have a receipt from PO that states they are Euro, but I have no idea if they are or not.

Any information/help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks, Tim

[Wil Ferch]

Nikasil is brand name used by Mahle....Alusil is a brand name of Kolbenshmidt ( KS).

Nikis' usu have 11 fins...Alusil usu have 10 fins.....on the cylinder barrel

caveat... it seems "not always".....

Wil

EDIT- Nikasils usually also have a vertical reinforcing rib perpendicular to the 11 ribs...but I seem to recall hearing about some Alusils with 10 fins also having the rib. The 10 vs 11 rib count is "usually" correct as an identifier.

[johnnyo]

I was under the impression tat Nikisil was magnetic on the inside cylinder walls

[Wil Ferch]

Lessee... Nikasil .... A word derived from Nickel -Aluminum-Silicon.....

Nope...none of these are magenetic.

If you can see the inside surface..the Nikasils are more grey and the Alusils are more silver...still might need both side by side to make sure.

There are KS or Mahle mfgr stamps on the cylinders...but only on the surfaces that face one another....can't see them "installed" from below... argggh

Wil

[J P Stein]

The Nikasill cyls are slightly magnetic, but it can only be detected on the inside wall.

[tkporsche]

Thanks guys for all your help in identifying the difference!

[Gunter]

Like Wil says, it should say Mahle on the cylinders.
So, what do you have?