Choosing Pistons for Boosted Application
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Dec 2022
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Choosing Pistons for Boosted Application Hello guys, im sorry if this type of thread has been beaten to death but I need somebody to literally tell me what to buy because I cant make a decision.
got a 04 iron block 5.3. honed it, bore is still 3.78. 243 heads. going to run btr stage 2 turbo cam, off brand 66mm t4. got everything but need to order pistons and rods. EVERYBODY has a different stance, some say stock rods will be fine ive already spoken to wiseco got a part # for the piston they recommend for the setup I have with stock rods (941 I think) and I also have a part number for pistons to go with diff rods (927 I think). pistons for stock rods look like $1k. can i trust new stock rods for 600hp right now and maybe a bit of a bigger turbo down the road ? or do i really really need to just swallow and get better rods and the different pistons ?
thanks,
Zac
got a 04 iron block 5.3. honed it, bore is still 3.78. 243 heads. going to run btr stage 2 turbo cam, off brand 66mm t4. got everything but need to order pistons and rods. EVERYBODY has a different stance, some say stock rods will be fine ive already spoken to wiseco got a part # for the piston they recommend for the setup I have with stock rods (941 I think) and I also have a part number for pistons to go with diff rods (927 I think). pistons for stock rods look like $1k. can i trust new stock rods for 600hp right now and maybe a bit of a bigger turbo down the road ? or do i really really need to just swallow and get better rods and the different pistons ?
thanks,
Zac
Gen 3 stock rods will hold 600-700rwhp no problem. Guys have been pulling 300K 5.3's out of junk yards and hitting them with 15psi with no issues. Gap the rings accordingly per your application and let it eat.
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Dec 2022
Posts: 20
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a couple (cylinder 3 was bottom ring 0.025 top 0.020, cylinder 4 was bottom 0.023 and top 0.024) were a bit off.
did I F-up ?
SOS.
disclaimer I have never put a motor together this is all rocket science to me.
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,890
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From: Grand Rapids, Michigan
I think you meant to type .005 per inch of bore and .0055 per inch of bore, correct? Let's just say this: You're never going to notice if your ring gap is too big, but you definitely will if it's too small. It'll be fine, but just remember when gapping rings, you have to check them often and grind small amounts at a time so you don't overshoot. You *might* be able to swap the rings between cylinders and make up a thousandth or so, but that depends on the tolerances in your engine.
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Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Dec 2022
Posts: 20
Likes: 3
I think you meant to type .005 per inch of bore and .0055 per inch of bore, correct? Let's just say this: You're never going to notice if your ring gap is too big, but you definitely will if it's too small. It'll be fine, but just remember when gapping rings, you have to check them often and grind small amounts at a time so you don't overshoot. You *might* be able to swap the rings between cylinders and make up a thousandth or so, but that depends on the tolerances in your engine.
thanks, Zac
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Verdad Gallardo Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,890
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From: Grand Rapids, Michigan
It's better to be precise, of course, but if you're a couple thousandths too large, I wouldn't sweat it. Yes, rings DO rotate in the bore, the whole point in clocking them is to give them the best chance of not having the ring gaps line up. So is it important? Somewhat. Eventually they'll line up, and just as quickly they'll rotate away again. One thing you don't want to do is have your top gap be larger than your second ring gap, as this can trap combustion pressure between the rings and cause ring flutter/oil control issues.
