CLASS RACER FORUM - View Single Post

Grant Eldridge · 03-25-2013, 03:05 AM

My experience was that switching from TRW pistons on my first stocker engine to CP piston technology made a world of difference! We had flogged the TRW engine extensively to a best of 11.39 on the then 12.00 index in E/SA. Cal Method advised me to ditch the old school TRW's, and get CP pistons with new technology and a stocker ring package, modern skirt design and extremely accurate ring land machining. After the changes, we eventually got to a best of 10.73. Not saying it was all in the pistons/rings, but they improved the ring seal and lowered drag so much that we could then rpm higher, tune differently, gear differently and the engine became tuneable and responsive to other changes. In my opinion, optimal ring seal is crucial. If you are building to go fast, you need the best parts and machine work here to make everything else effective. If you are building this engine wanting to go a long way under the index, start with the good piston/ring combination and optimize the short block. Later you can build on that good foundation, it's only $500. difference! When you consider all the other machine work, parts and labor you will need this is money well spent.
Otherwise, you may be limited in how far you can get and have to either be satisfied with slower times or building another better short block later, as we had to do. Cheaper in the end to do it once using the best parts. Not knocking the JE or other new piston brands, but the CP are definitely an excellent piston, just my two cents....

Grant Eldridge
E/SA 6650
National Record Holder 2006/2011

03-25-2013, 03:05 AM	#6
Grant Eldridge Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 124 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Stocker pistons... My experience was that switching from TRW pistons on my first stocker engine to CP piston technology made a world of difference! We had flogged the TRW engine extensively to a best of 11.39 on the then 12.00 index in E/SA. Cal Method advised me to ditch the old school TRW's, and get CP pistons with new technology and a stocker ring package, modern skirt design and extremely accurate ring land machining. After the changes, we eventually got to a best of 10.73. Not saying it was all in the pistons/rings, but they improved the ring seal and lowered drag so much that we could then rpm higher, tune differently, gear differently and the engine became tuneable and responsive to other changes. In my opinion, optimal ring seal is crucial. If you are building to go fast, you need the best parts and machine work here to make everything else effective. If you are building this engine wanting to go a long way under the index, start with the good piston/ring combination and optimize the short block. Later you can build on that good foundation, it's only $500. difference! When you consider all the other machine work, parts and labor you will need this is money well spent. Otherwise, you may be limited in how far you can get and have to either be satisfied with slower times or building another better short block later, as we had to do. Cheaper in the end to do it once using the best parts. Not knocking the JE or other new piston brands, but the CP are definitely an excellent piston, just my two cents.... Grant Eldridge E/SA 6650 National Record Holder 2006/2011