piston options?

RSK · Mar 10, 2015

has anyone ever seen an IH piston cracked even? honestly I have 0 questions that the IH pistons are 100% worth the money but the coating i'm not convinced on. I don't think anyone is cracking IH pistons coated or not.

sootie · Mar 10, 2015

RSK said:
has anyone ever seen an IH piston cracked even? honestly I have 0 questions that the IH pistons are 100% worth the money but the coating i'm not convinced on. I don't think anyone is cracking IH pistons coated or not.

i havent heard of any hd cracking.

if you are planing to ever go above stock fuel-coating is cheap insurance. why wouldnt you do it? the additional heat from hot tunes and extra fueling puts waaay more heat cycle stress on the pistons.

6.4 Stroker · Mar 10, 2015

Agreed.
I didn't get mine coated, just delipped.
I don't feel a coating would save a piston from cracking, but that's just me.

sootie · Mar 10, 2015

coating is a major heat insulator. you should see how long a coated piston will stand up to a cutting torch compared to a virgin piston...

RSK · Mar 10, 2015

sootie said:
coating is a major heat insulator. you should see how long a coated piston will stand up to a cutting torch compared to a virgin piston...

I would like to see that. But i don't think anyone has done it. Everyone just says get your pistons coated and everyone does, i have yet to see any factual evidence that it does anything.

SDS97_7.3 · Mar 10, 2015

RSK said:
I would like to see that. But i don't think anyone has done it. Everyone just says get your pistons coated and everyone does, i have yet to see any factual evidence that it does anything.

You mean like this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kokkeDn7PU0

RSK · Mar 10, 2015

sootie said:
coating is a major heat insulator. you should see how long a coated piston will stand up to a cutting torch compared to a virgin piston...

I would like to see that. But i don't think anyone has done it. Everyone just says get your pistons coated and everyone does, i have yet to see any factual evidence that it does anything. Also i would like to see the cutting torch at under 2000 degrees or whatever a truck with a 60's with a set of jr. High powers or high powers hits at the end of a sled pull and at the end of a 1/4 mile pass at sea level.

RSK · Mar 10, 2015

SDS97_7.3 said:
You mean like this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kokkeDn7PU0

Ok what was the temperature of that torch? As seen in that video it does actually help protect the piston but how hot was that torch?

johnp115 · Mar 10, 2015

300 extra dollars to be extra sure youre not going to have to worry about a cracked piston and foot that bill again............ why would you not..............

i mean im just saying, at that point in the build i would not be cutting that corner, factually proven or not. As sootie said with it being a heat insulator, and the fact that heat stress is seen to be the main reason pistons crack/melt, thats good enough for me.

SDS97_7.3 · Mar 10, 2015

RSK said:
Ok what was the temperature of that torch? As seen in that video it does actually help protect the piston but how hot was that torch?

Since I wasn't there I cant answer how hot. But it was hot enough to melt and cut into the non coated piston. So I think it kinda proves the point that sootie was saying.

RSK · Mar 10, 2015

johnp115 said:
300 extra dollars to be extra sure youre not going to have to worry about a cracked piston and foot that bill again............ why would you not..............

i mean im just saying, at that point in the build i would not be cutting that corner, factually proven or not. As sootie said with it being a heat insulator, and the fact that heat stress is seen to be the main reason pistons crack/melt, thats good enough for me.

Not trying to cut corners but not trying to waste money either but on that note i should do billet rods too because quite a few members have bent connecting rods tune only.

johnp115 · Mar 10, 2015

RSK said:
Not trying to cut corners but not trying to waste money either but on that note i should do billet rods too because quite a few members have bent rods tune only.

Im pretty confident in saying that spending money on coating is not a waste. and yeah id be doing rods too. I wouldnt see rods as a waste. id hate to be pulling my stuff apart again to fix a bent rod when it could have all been done once, but thats just me.

SlowSmoke · Mar 10, 2015

RSK said:
has anyone ever seen an IH piston cracked even? honestly I have 0 questions that the IH pistons are 100% worth the money but the coating i'm not convinced on. I don't think anyone is cracking IH pistons coated or not.

We have had one IH piston fail, and we determined it was a casting defect. I have never seen one crack, but on that note I've never installed a non coated one. I agree coating is worth the small cost increase. I would coat Pistons before putting rods in on any build. I've seen way more cracked Pistons than bent rods on daily driver trucks with just tuners.

Sonic to answer your question on the stage 1 vs stage 2 cams. I've also never installed a stage one because colt states you can get away without flycutting on a stage 2. For the same price on a regrind there's no reason not to go stage 2 IMO. The stage 2 cams spool very quick and have great low end throttle response. Stop by for a chat if your passing through one day.

powerstroked08 · Mar 11, 2015

SlowSmoke said:
We have had one IH piston fail, and we determined it was a casting defect. I have never seen one crack, but on that note I've never installed a non coated one. I agree coating is worth the small cost increase. I would coat Pistons before putting rods in on any build. I've seen way more cracked Pistons than bent rods on daily driver trucks with just tuners.

Sonic to answer your question on the stage 1 vs stage 2 cams. I've also never installed a stage one because colt states you can get away without flycutting on a stage 2. For the same price on a regrind there's no reason not to go stage 2 IMO. The stage 2 cams spool very quick and have great low end throttle response. Stop by for a chat if your passing through one day.

That was kinds truck if i remember correctly. That was just horrible luck. That truck was beautiful under the hood. A very very clean build! Nice job on that truck!

sonic blue l · Mar 11, 2015

SlowSmoke said:
We have had one IH piston fail, and we determined it was a casting defect. I have never seen one crack, but on that note I've never installed a non coated one. I agree coating is worth the small cost increase. I would coat Pistons before putting rods in on any build. I've seen way more cracked Pistons than bent rods on daily driver trucks with just tuners.

Sonic to answer your question on the stage 1 vs stage 2 cams. I've also never installed a stage one because colt states you can get away without flycutting on a stage 2. For the same price on a regrind there's no reason not to go stage 2 IMO. The stage 2 cams spool very quick and have great low end throttle response. Stop by for a chat if your passing through one day.

Thanks, will do.

6.4f350 · Mar 11, 2015

RSK said:
Not trying to cut corners but not trying to waste money either but on that note i should do billet rods too because quite a few members have bent connecting rods tune only.

Do you have any links to threads of people this has happened to? My truck has a bent rod on #1 I believe (Could also be the piston broken around the wrist pin but doesn't seem like it). It's a delete/tune only truck, I found it strange that it would bend a rod out of nowhere.

sootie · Mar 11, 2015

RSK said:
Ok what was the temperature of that torch? As seen in that video it does actually help protect the piston but how hot was that torch?

6.4f350 said:
Do you have any links to threads of people this has happened to? My truck has a bent rod on #1 I believe (Could also be the piston broken around the wrist pin but doesn't seem like it). It's a delete/tune only truck, I found it strange that it would bend a rod out of nowhere.

What tuning?

6.4f350 · Mar 11, 2015

sootie said:
What tuning?

H&S HD300. Truck started ticking out of nowhere so I took it apart thinking it was going to be a lifter. All lifters and lobes looked fine, then I noticed the #1 piston wasn't coming as high as it should at TDC. Shortblock is out of the truck now, will have it torn down in the next few days to see what exactly is going on. Ran fine other than a tick which I now assume is a bent rod hitting a counter weight.