Which pistons for rebuild?

[MI6TA]

I've tried doing some searching and haven't found the ones I'm interested in. And I'm not running any power adders.

I'm rebuilding my engine, stock crank, and rods just a balance job, new bearings. The heads I've got have new manley undercut valves stock size, ported and polished, 57cc combustion chamber... Going 1.6 RR's, still deciding cam.

This will be a DD but I want some power from it. Have some wear after 123k so I'm boring .030 over, not interested in making it a stroker.
These look good to me, but has anyone run them or have experience with Speed-Pro? PN: 8KH273CP30
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/slp-8kh273cp30/overview/

If these have some issues, then can you give me more options, I'm not finding many options to choose from.

[MeanTA]

Never ran them, But......................... Might help if you get ones for a sbc. lol

[blkchevyz]

i'm out of the loop on this stuff, but i know people use to like the Keith-black stuff. suppose to be stronger than stock, but still hyper pistons so they are cheaper.

[MI6TA]

I'm also looking at Keith black brand too. Seen him in the summit catalog. And if that link is not to a sbc I'm sorry lol

[MI6TA]

Haha it does say ford, I must not have filtered through my search very well.

[dawdaw]

I know there a decent piston cause I had a buddy go 9's on them quite consistently in a 355" 3100-3200lb ta getting a 250 hit put to it.... If you can get some decent 2 valve relief pistons like a SRP you would be better off, but you would be fine with something like that, they are heavy though.

[MI6TA]

Thanks dawdaw good to know they can take some abuse. I'm unfamiliar with these brands.
Found a package deal with fel-pro gasket kit, clevite cam, rod, and main bearings, KB hypereurtectic .03 over pistons, sealed power piston rings, HV oil pump, summit true roller timing chain, sealants, lubes, plastigage, rod bolt boots, oil line and brass freeze plugs all for $570. Have a few questions on the kit, like will it fit lt1's, if it comes with wrist pins, and if its the Keith Blacks with a dry-film coating on skirts. If everything checks out then I think I found my pistons and most of the other things for a bottom end rebuild at cheaper than buying it all separate, and free shipping; thanks summit.

[MI6TA]

Turns out that kit isn't compatible with lt1's just gen 1's.

I'm just looking for close to stock CR, flat top 4 valve relief pistons for lt1's.

[firebird_1995]

If summits site is telling you its not compatible its because of the timing chain and gasket set. The bottom end of our lt1s will accept any one piece main SBC components.

[noice]

Arias
AutoTec/RaceTec
CP/Carillo
Clevite/Federal-Mogul
Badger
BME
Diamond
DSS Racing
GM
Howards Cams
ICON
JE/SRP
Kieth Black
Lunati
Mahle
Manley
Probe
Ross
Sealed Power
Speed Pro
Summit Racing
Trick Flow
TRW
Venolia
Wiesco

These are the companies that make pistons for SBC that I know of. If I was to guess, probably only a few of these companies actually forge/cast their own pistons and sell of blanks to the rest of the list.

With a 3.48" stock stroke and a 5.7" rod, you are going to need 1.54" ch height pistons. Also what thickness head gasket do you want to use?

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/slp-8kh423acp30/overview/make/chevrolet
$150 bucks, 1.54" ch piston 3.48" stroke 5.7" rod 4.030" bore plasma moly top ring. Follow the specs for a plasma moly finish on the bores, it is 320-400 grit finish needed for plasma moly rings or there will be blowby. Plasma moly coating on the rings is so tough that the rings don't wear. Don't use synthetic oil on break in for plasma moly rings.

Pretty much from $150-400 is Hypereutectic aluminum pistons which are better for a street car. You have to spend $500+ to get forged aluminum pistons, which are only needed if you plan on pushing things.

Another thing to note with whatever you decide. Try to stick to a similar weight piston if you can to stock otherwise you might need to get everything balanced again to keep the motor from hating itself.

When the motor is finished don't spray nitrous to it if you have plasma rings. Also don't spray nitrous to it if you have a tight ring gap. The decisions you make with the pistons determine what you can get away with when the motor is running.

[blkchevyz]

good info there

[MI6TA]

So the bottom end components are interchangeable for sbc's and lt1's, aside from timing; correct?

I don't plan on throwing nitrous on it, just the motor will be enough fun for me. So yeah no forged pistons for me.

Thanks Noice! why is it that I'll neec 1.54" ch height pistons . I don't know what size of gasket I'll be using.... Does it have to be 1.54" because the link you gave is the only one that fits the description filter options on summit. I'd like to have a better brand if I could. I'll go looking on each brands site for what I need.

[englundjd]

there is nothing wrong with speed pro slugs.. thats whats in my car, got 25000 hard miles on them, and i'm gearing up for spray

[noice]

So the bottom end components are interchangeable for sbc's and lt1's, aside from timing; correct?

I don't plan on throwing nitrous on it, just the motor will be enough fun for me. So yeah no forged pistons for me.

Thanks Noice! why is it that I'll neec 1.54" ch height pistons . I don't know what size of gasket I'll be using.... Does it have to be 1.54" because the link you gave is the only one that fits the description filter options on summit. I'd like to have a better brand if I could. I'll go looking on each brands site for what I need.

Pretty much everything from a SBC post 1986 1-piece rear main seal block is interchangeable with your motor. I even run a SBC double roller timing set, if you machine out the back of the timing cover, you can get away with it and still run an opti. You can also run any SBC camshaft as long as you have the '95 or later NON Spline driven optispark, you may need a longer dowel pin to drive it though.

25872

Okay your SBC Gen1 and SBC Gen2 (LT1) both have a 9.025 total height. Your stock stroke 3.48/2=1.74", your stock rods are 5.7" Now you have 9.025-7.44 = 1.585" for your CH of the piston. Most people deck the block down from 9.025" to 9" or even whatever is needed to make the piston even with the deck at TDC. If you took 25 thousandths off the stock deck height the CH needed would be 1.56", 45 thousandths would be 1.54" CH required. You have to measure your actual deck height of the block. You want to try and get to a 1.54" CH as it is a SUPER common CH and allows you to run VERY cheap pistons. You can always custom order pistons to any CH, but now we go from talking about $150 to $800-1500 for a set. Or you would have to custom order connecting rods to make the pistons that you got work with your crankshaft stroke, this also cost near $1000 bucks.

Try looking at this search result on summit.
http://www.summitracing.com/search/department/engines-components/section/pistons-piston-rings/part-type/piston-and-ring-kits/make/chevrolet/engine-family/chevy-small-block-gen-i/bore-in/4-030-in/rod-length/5-700-in/stroke/3-480-in?SortBy=DisplayPrice&SortOrder=Ascending

If it shows up that would be pistons that you could use. The problem with piston manufacturers is that they don't give a fuck about people like you and I. Their websites are either incomplete or unhelpful in finding a piston, they would rather you go through a 3rd party like summit or jegs to get your pistons. I've ordered pistons from JE and SRP directly, but most of the time I have to call up jegs and order through their customer service reps. Like take Mahle for example, they make pistons for F1 and OEM so they know what they are doing. However try and find a catalog on their site. Also that list of pistons I posted earlier may be shorter now as some companies had to downsize after the 2008 or so crash.

If you aren't going to use a power adder, Hypereutectic pistons are the way to go. Their high silicon content allows for very little thermal expansion of the pistons. This means that the piston can be fit much tighter in the hole than a forged aluminum piston can. This makes for better ring seal and an engine with much less "rocking" of the piston especially when it is cold. Matched with moly faced rings and EFI, you can get well over 100,000 miles with that rebuild if everything is done right.

To get a forged set of pistons just gets kind of expensive for no real purpose if you aren't really leaning on the motor.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/srp-271057-8/overview/make/chevrolet - SRP Forged Pistons $662
http://www.jepistons.com/Products/271057.aspx This is the same model but linked from their website, same price too.
SRP/JE also refer to 9" as the SBC deck height, this means they make their pistons as 1.56 CH.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/mle-sbc550030f05/overview/make/chevrolet - Mahle Forged Pistons $671
They don't list the weight of the pistons, so it is kind of hard to tell if they are similar to stock weight.

For Wiseco you would have to call jegs and ask them how much part number K0094B3 costs and then would likely have to purchase W71208-4030-5 piston ring kit, or just source your own piston rings from a company like total seal or whatever you feel like.

[noice]

Arias
AutoTec/RaceTec
CP/Carillo
Clevite/Federal-Mogul
Badger
BME
Diamond
DSS Racing
GM
Howards Cams
ICON
JE/SRP
Kieth Black
Lunati
Mahle
Manley
Probe
Ross
Sealed Power
Speed Pro
Summit Racing
Trick Flow
TRW
Venolia
Wiesco


Arias Pistons - $773 for just the pistons
http://arias-pistons.myshopify.com/products/chevrolet-350-small-block-4-030-1-550ch

Racetec/Auto Tech - Expensive smaller piston manufacturer, former owner of JE pistons.
Part no for the pistons that would work 1001000
Ring package AT 4035

CP/Carillo - Badass piston company
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/cnn-bc1021-030-8 $638

Ross - Top of the line ~$750
Weight (g) CH Part No.


523
1.545
90013


538
1.568
90451


495
1.560
99571



BME - Nascar/Top Fuel Pistons $91 dollars apiece for SBC

Manley - $815
593030-8 Part No for Pistons
46213-8 Normal Ring Package
46213GT-8 Gapless Ring Package

Venolia Pistons is a good piston, but they don't easily display prices

[shownomercy]

JE pistins are what I run, they were shiny.

[ginoz28]

That's how I picked my pistons. The shinyer the better. ; )

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk 2

[SS RRR]

JE pistins are what I run, they were shiny.
OMG ME2!

[MI6TA]

Wow thanks for all the information that was enlightening. What book is it that you got that diagram from?

I'm not sure of two important things at this time. I haven't decided if I'll get the block milled down yet... I also don't know the thickness of the gasket I'm going to use.
I found 2 KB pistons I like from that list you gave a link to. The only difference between 2 of the KB is one has 2 valve reliefs and the other has 4 reliefs resulting in a difference of +5cc or +7cc for the 4 valve. What difference dos that really make? I was told my heads have been ported out to 57cc also...

2 valve reliefs would make for a slightly higher compression, so in the 11:1 area?

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/uem-9902hcktm030/overview/make/chevrolet (http://www.summitracing.com/parts/uem-9902hcktm030/overview/make/chevrolet) 4 valve $250
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/uem-9901hcktm030/overview/make/chevrolet (http://www.summitracing.com/parts/uem-9901hcktm030/overview/make/chevrolet) 2 valve $300

[noice]

4 Valve reliefs allow you to put the pistons in either direction, many stock engines are like this. In reality any modern piston (only two valve reliefs) has a piston pin that is offset to one side, this make the motor quieter on startup, even factory cars have this now days. What this means to you is that you shouldn't reverse offset pistons as they are supposed to go in one way. With that said, there is people who think it is worth HP to do that.

That little difference in cc isn't too much to worry about, if budget is the only concern then go with the cheaper ones, the engine isn't going to run any differently for $50 extra bucks.

After you get your pistons, the machinist will assemble one piston and rod on the crank and measure how far down the piston is in the hole, or if it is even in the hole, or if it sticks out of the hole. Then that will determine if you can, should, or need to deck the block down some or if you can just use a certain thickness gasket that will make everything work nicely.

The book is the Reher-Morrison Engine Book, it is $75. It will also tell you things that you would have to learn with your own money and mistakes any other way.

[MI6TA]

Wanted to say thank you very much noice! I learned something new here, and will try to get my hands on that book in the future. I decided to go with KB claimer pistons and rings for $250. Hyper-eutectic will be plenty strong enough for my n/a daily. Still have a long way to go and I know there will be more questions but I'm that much closer!