melted #2 piston... looking for cheap setup to go with, hows my plan?

[1gTURD]

after having no idea why #2 had no compression, and an oil soaked engine... I pulled my head off to find a melted oval shaped piston. It is rather funny lookin! anyways... I am buildin up a 1g awd and plan on finishing the engine for that rather than waiste $ on my fwd. The question I am asking is what would be a good idea as far as pistons go for this thing?? Im just lookin for a cheap/ easy fix but while im at it, maybe put some "ok" pistons in there so i can run more boost a bit more safely. I wanna keep the stock rods however. I dont have a whole lot of $ to spend. i was thinkin maybe a copper head gasket (or is stock fine) and some better than stock pistons to pop in there but... I do have to hone the cyl because the top (on the exhaust side) is a tad bit roughed up but I think that i can just extrude it and be ok. Again... just lookin for what I should do for a cheap easy fix and maybe pick up some ponies in the process (im porting the exhaust mani, intake mani, and the head while i have them out) i plan on just doin about 16-18 psi

the "mods" on this car are as follows incase it helps
Free maf sensor mods
greddy profec b
rewired stock pump
small 16g
550cc injectors
air filter
upper ic pipe
2. inch dp
stock exhaust
act 2100
thats about it off teh top of my head

 

[NOSNUSE]

use a stock head gasket if you aren't going to run too much boost, go with 2gen pistons for a good mod and upgrade your exhaust if you really want power, that stock exhaust is way to small for your setup.

 

[L2RTSiAWD]

95 pistons on 91 big rods.

 

[1gTURD]

Originally posted by NOSNUSE
use a stock head gasket if you aren't going to run too much boost, go with 2gen pistons for a good mod and upgrade your exhaust if you really want power, that stock exhaust is way to small for your setup.

well i said 16-18 psi
and im keepin the stock exhaust, I dont wanna put any money into the fwd so thats why i will keep the stock exhaust, there is nothing wrong with it and im not tryin to "free up power" throuigh the exhaust but through the pistons and all, since i need new ones anyway. In other words, fwd sucks and Im not goin out of my way because my exhaust is 'too small for my setup' . but yeah i think i will use a stock head gasket seeing is that the old one didnt "burst" even if the piston did!! go figure

but yeah i think i wil do the 91 bigs if i can find a set cheap enough if not ill put the 95's I have on my rods... thanks alot guys!!

 

[DrZiplok]

Don't port the manifolds (with the exception of the collector outlet on the exhaust) unless you are porting the head as well. The stock manifold<->head sizing works quite well, especially for the power levels you're talking about, and porting parts of the flowpath without matching to the others will actually hurt performance.

I second the exhaust path comments though; a 2g exhaust manifold and a 2.5" turbo-back exhaust will make a significant improvement.

 

[1gTURD]

. I know not to port the manifolds without porting the head too. why port the manifold and not the head? the air flow will run into the head where it isnt "ported. besides im just talkin about a gasket match port and smooth out the casting bumps... nothing drastic. Ive ported a couple honda heads and manifolds getting ganes from 3 hp to 9 hp to the wheels just from doin a gasket match and nice finished surface. However, i checked the exhaust valves and they leak a bit. not a good seat... this is from heat and not a whole lot of back pressure from the exhaust i had. so in go a row of exhaust valves. im just gonna keep the dp and put a 2.5 test pipe in there with a "fake cat" slid ontop of the test pipe. that should free it up a bit. Im just not lookin to shell out another 300-400 dollars for a few horses (a few being 6 hp or 16 hp. To me its just another 400 i could have spent towards the aem ems or greddy e manage, or beer or somethin.
this thing should run like a champ in a bit!!! I guess if i find a used 2.5 for cheap ill pick it up but as for now, we'll see how it runs
thanks again guys, greatly appreciated

 

[truwarrior]

How did you melt your piston? What's your setup and how much boost are u running?

 

[1gTURD]

cyl 2 was runnin lean... 27 psi boost spike at 140 mph... my mods are earlier in this post, just read them