Flatlander engine teardown begins

[88 Ford]

has anyone thought about pocket milling the middle of the pistons to help a bit on the CR?

and yes ron...your an evil evil man.... i may have my banks WG sidewinder setup for sale soon lol

I've always wondered about milling the middle too but isn't that the thinnest area on the piston? What about just milling the edges? Also why are you getting rid of your turbo? Are you upgrading?

 

[freebird01]

Combination of upgrading and the turbo may need rebuild. It has a small amount of axial play but its not contacting the housing yet.

 

[Dsl_Dog_Treat]

IMHO you should try the Keith Blacks cus the Mahls have already failed in that engine. And it might be good to try something different. I know the Keith Blacks are a lil expensive but they are good pistons and worth the extra money. Plus iirc they have extra crown thickness whick will allow you to take more off the piston and still have more meat on them. Also those Hx35s will be awesome on that setup. They will spool decently and will give you good cool boost on the top end. Also its good you plan to intercool it. Intercooling is a necessity on any turboed engine especially at the boost levels you plan to run. Check out ebay, I believe I have seen intercoolers almost exactly like that on there before. Also have you decided about adding more fuel later and what you are gonne do with the fuel system? I know you plan on just a Moose Pump for now but you have any more plans for fuel in the future?

The KB silvolites are what I'm leaning towards but by time I'm ready to put them in, I'll have around $1500 invested in just pistons alone. Spending that type of coin I want to make sure they will hold up to the heat long term. Hence my reason for thorough research.
If I hit my charge air target with the Moose, there will be no need to add more fuel as I am looking for a reliable long life build.
I'm not sold on the hybrid pumps yet.

Jason I'm sorry I have to be a bad influence but I'm glad you see what I've got brewing.

 

[freebird01]

Hopefully ill be ordering studs this week sometime

 

[88 Ford]

The KB silvolites are what I'm leaning towards but by time I'm ready to put them in, I'll have around $1500 invested in just pistons alone. Spending that type of coin I want to make sure they will hold up to the heat long term. Hence my reason for thorough research.
If I hit my charge air target with the Moose, there will be no need to add more fuel as I am looking for a reliable long life build.
I'm not sold on the hybrid pumps yet.

Jason I'm sorry I have to be a bad influence but I'm glad you see what I've got brewing.

I wonder how much custom forged pistons would cost? Maybe not much more than $1500 like you were saying you would have into the KBs...

 

[93f250idi]

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[Dsl_Dog_Treat]

I wonder how much custom forged pistons would cost? Maybe not much more than $1500 like you were saying you would have into the KBs...

I've got no problem dropping that type of coin for pistons as long they're going to hold up.
That's one of the main reasons with me taking the time to research all angles.
Seeing how important the piston cooling jet alignment is, I could be a little OCD with the dissection but since this engine was one of the first of its kind, it's important to correct its deficiencies and make it right. This animal has set in my shop for over a year and a half and have been wanting to make twins work with it since the day it landed.
It's becoming reality now.

 

[hesutton]

Arias will custom build you some pistons, but who knows the cost. Might wanna give'm a call. Might wanna call KB as well to get the spec's on the piston crowns to see if they are really any thicker there than the Mahle's. Mahle made these pistons for IH, and most piston maker certainly used their design as a template for theirs. Wanna make sure before you throw down that much money that they are better option. Either way, I'd bet the rings are the same distance from the crown on both. Heat transfer to the rings after milling is still a question to factor in as well.

Heath