Need advice on pistons

[RainyP71]

Hey guys,

Putting together a budget friendly rotating assembly for a mild performance build. Have a Kellog crank, set of stock cobra rods, just looking for a good set of forged pistons. No plans to run crazy boost or anything like that. Looking to run 9+:1 CR.

Any good reccomendations for pistons? Would like to stay at or below the $600 range for a set. Any other advice would be great as this is the first mod motor I am building.

Thanks!

Rob



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[01yellercobra]

I've ran Diamond in the past with no issues. But I've heard of some issues with customer service. That was a while ago and things might have changed by now. Gibtec is another popular brand, but I'm not sure about their prices. I think Manley is still a popular choice and Mod Max might have some decent deals on them.

 

[Blkkbgt]

Even though I have manley pistons in my build I would go with diamond if I had the opportunity to do it over. I changed my mind when I did some research on diamond. They seem to have slightly thicker crowns and the top ring land is a little further down then the manley pieces. Manley pistons used come with thinner pins but they have since fixed that.

Gibtec is an excellent piston manufacturer but they do custom stuff only last I checked so you wont be able to get something off the shelf from them. You will also be paying more money for a set and it doesn't sound like you need to go that route. I would stick to something off the shelf and be done with it.

 

[03' White Snake]

I run Diamond pistons. Budget pistons, look at JE, Wesco or even Manley.

 

[RainyP71]

Thanks everyone for the input! Looks like I will be going with Manley Platinum series for my build because they should fit my goals and budget. Can't wait to start on my other build to go with Gibtec.

So when it comes to material, 2618 or 4032 forging?

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[baby_gonzo]

2618 require more piston to cylinder wall clearance due to their expansion. When I got my car it was non-running, so I took it apart to find out there were piston guts all up and down the cylinders due to not enough clearance. I want to say they require .006 clearance, but can't remember, and mine had around .003. SO which ever you choose, make sure your machine shop understands this. Also, the 2618 can be kinda noisy on cold starts.

 

[badcobra]

There are many downsides to going with an off the shelf piston.

1. You are limited on sizes in most cases to stock bore or .020" over. This requires you to bore the block more than necessary to fit the piston. Should keep the bore as close to stock bore as you possibly can for strength.
2. The OTS piston varieties are typically compromised designs for running any type of combo. Not great for boost, better for NA
3. It's virtually impossible to get the relevant piston specifications. How thick are the skirts? What is the crown thickness etc?
4. Most come with an inadequate wrist pin for a high HP build requiring you to spend hundreds of dollars on top of the price of the pistons for the right pin. A 9310 pin is not sufficient.
5. The ring packs they may come with our substandard, a one size fits all combo.

I would recommend you just get a Gibtec custom piston. You can order it with any piston pin and Total Seal ring pack. Call my brothers shop, they are a direct dealer and get better pricing than calling Gibtec directly and have done tons of mod motor piston designs. Jonny @ Finish Line 720-201-1834

 

[jrgoffin]

Best bang for the buck out there - definitely Gibtec. Mine were their launch set for the mod motors and they’ve sold a lot since:
Aluminator Gibtec Build