Pistons for 63 Fuelie...comments

[Larry]

Ok...think I found another set of pistons to put in my 63 fuelie that is being rebuilt. Any comments on the following pistons I'm thinking about...not sure if the compression ratio will be a factor...this is a Sunday driver and just for fun car but like the get-up-an-go feel of a good engine. All comments appreciated.

1 Set of New TRW No. L2166NF.030 Pistons. Fit 327 CID Chevy V8. Special Hi Performance Pistons with a .125" Dome and 2 Valve Reliefs.

4.0" + .030" (4.030") Bore Size. Compression Height is 1.563". Pin Diameter is .927". There are two 5/64" compression rings and one 3/16" oil ring. Compression Ratio is 11 to 1 with 58cc chamber, 10.35 to 1 with 64cc chamber, & 9.87 to 1 with 68cc heads.

These are FORGED - not cast - pistons.

[Joe L.]

Re: Pistons for 63 Fuelie...comments

Larry----

These pistons would be a very decent choice for use in your engine. Since your heads should be of 64 cc, or so, combustion chamber volume, you should end up with a streetable compression ratio.

However, having said all of this, if I were building an engine like yours I would NOT use forged pistons. Forged pistons are the strongest available piston, but that is their singular asset. Forged pistons require more piston-to-bore clearance and are shorter-lived pieces than cast pistons. Blow-by and oil consumption will be higher with forged pistons. Of course, back in the days when your engine was built, the only choices were forged or permanent mold cast aluminum. These cast pistons of yore were not very strong, so forged was the only practical alternative, irrespective of the other deficiencies of same.

Today, there is available the hypereutectic cast piston. This piston technology allows for a piston which is the best of all worlds. The strength of the hypereutectic cast piston is close to that of forged pistons, plus these pistons have all of the other attributes of cast pistons. GM uses this type of piston in all Corvette LT-1 (92-96), LT-4, ZZ-series crate engines, and the LS-1 and soon-to-be LS-6 engine. That's a pretty good "endorsement". Hypereutectic cast pistons available from Keith Black/Silvolite are T-6 heat treated and very close to forged piston in strength.

The last forged piston that GM used in a PRODUCTION engine was for the 1980 Corvette with L-82. That was 20 years ago, now. And a lot of things have happened to pistons and metallurgy since then.