Collider Hell. Need some help please.

[Azimech]

Thank you for taking the time to look at this!

Some of you may know I'm busy with a mod to build old fashioned piston engines. Topic, vids and pics: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/97042-WIP-Internal-Combustion-Engine-Construction-Kit-v0-2-Included-example-engine!

Thanks to Ferram4's "The Colliders Strike Back" mod we can now have intra vessel collisions. http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/93897-0-25-The-Colliders-Strike-Back-v1-0-1-Intra-vessel-part-collisions-are-back!

I've waited a long time for something like that, before the cylinders were separate entities, using extra parts to block their movement. Cumbersome, heavy and not at all great.

The problem is this: the colliders aren't very precise. Even without starting an engine pistons have the tendency to move a bit through the cylinders. When they're moving they bite into the cylinders, pulling and pushing them around and often the pistons suddenly fly through. Lowering physics delta time works a bit but the setting won't go any lower than 0.3. Come to think of it: Gears and drive belts/chains are a problem as well.

So ...

... is there a way to confine the pistons in a sort of "magical bubble" so they won't collide or ...

... is there a way to produce a model with moving meshes like the Infernal Robotics cylinders and still be able to attach parts inside it (piston rod - bearing - piston, and the top of the piston is essentially a rocket engine, for example) without violating certain principles?

... anything else? Wait for Unity 5?

I've been dreaming about this for a long time and it would be awesome to build reliable engines and other more detailed technical stuff! Imagine the cyclic/collective of a helicopter.