For those running over 500rwhp, I'd like to get a feel for how many have had piston issues (under 500hp is probably factory defect), you can do multiple votes:
Piston Poll:
- Thread starter McRat
- Start date
when i pulled my motor down to build it, i had piston #5 just starting to crack at the lip of the piston bowl. only piston that did it.
question, should it also be asked if the motor was on nitrous or not? dunno if that would greatly affect piston erosion
Cracked #3 and slight erosion on most. #3 had a leaky injector, it was over 600rwhp and raced often.
Ran the stock LBZ with 30% tips and an S475 twin kit for years (74k mi), nothing but abuse (500+ passes, several hooks, few Dyno pulls, plenty of street fun) with no issues. Added a dual fueler for about a year on the same tune, never had any issues, and ran the same times in the 1/4. Decided I wanted to push it harder, and cracked #7 piston (94k mi). Still not sure what came first though, the crack or the tear drop blow torch hole through the piston and into the pin... The tops of all pistons were perfect and showed no erosion.
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Corries orig stock engine ran at 680ish hp for a season of pulling and racing, #2 and #4 were starting to crack in the lips when tore down.
Current engine has stock delips about 80 hooks (2 seasons) at 900+hp, no issues yet,well be tore down over winter and well see how they took it!
Current engine has stock delips about 80 hooks (2 seasons) at 900+hp, no issues yet,well be tore down over winter and well see how they took it!
Race motor
Same piston since 2009. I have had the motor apart and just keep putting it back together with the same rings and bearings. This year I will put new rings. It's starting to get some blowby out the breather tank, not much but it never had any. If the bearings look good again they will go back in. This motor have been very good to me and owes me nothing.
Same piston since 2009. I have had the motor apart and just keep putting it back together with the same rings and bearings. This year I will put new rings. It's starting to get some blowby out the breather tank, not much but it never had any. If the bearings look good again they will go back in. This motor have been very good to me and owes me nothing.
Basically just looking at the percentage of those with aluminum pistons that haven't had problems at high HP.
Stock engines have cracked pistons with the factory tune. It's rare but just like broken cranks it's not impossible.
There are 2 basic camps. Those who say alum is working fine, and those who have had problems with it.
Knock on wood, our LBZ has about 75k miles on it, and hundreds of drag passes, heavy towing, dozens of dyno pulls, a handful of sled pulls, and even had some idiot thief fill the intake with water. Still no engine problems.
But if I had to rebuild "Wendy", I'd want something stronger than the LBZ pistons. Why? The set of pistons in Wendy now are "lucky", and the next set might be "unlucky".
Looking at the poll results , Benny when were you at or over 750 RWHP ? I call BS ass -o- meters don't count! 
What the heck are you doing? Holey crap!
Either you are the most unluckiest guy here or others aren't talking about their failures.
Wonder if all that N20 is hitting the piston top after its already had some time to heat soak.? We've raced together for years making almost the same power/ET, but N20 vs. Twins...