best 400awhp-500awhp piston/rod combo

[Blaze4G63]

Im About to pull the trigger on some pistons and rods for my build, its going to be a 2.0L no stroker, Im looking for a block that can handle 500awhp all day long. I have seen there is a trend of a common set up i was just wonder what is the best for longer lasting race block. I know this is a dead horse but theres to many options.

looking to spend 3K or less if possible

 

[Phantom DSM]

There was a long discussion on this in a thread last month. I will post the link below. We even voted and nitrouskris included a bunch of piston pics as well. Honestly man, if money is not an option, you could go with arias and bme alum rod combo. If all you want is 500, you could pull this off with even Eagle h beam rods and any forged piston, take your pic. 3k is good amount, for parts,machining and assembly you mean?
http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/maintenance-repairs/472010-help-me-choose-pistons-rods.html

 

[JacksonAuto]

Our go to combo for that kind of power is Wiseco standard duty pistons and Manley or Eagle rods. Manley pistons are available as well but don't have all the features of the Wiseco. A completely machinesd, assembled and balanced 2.0 shortblock with those components is around $2500.

 

[Steve93Talon]

Up to 500whp, there's nothing wrong with a stock 6 bolt IMO.

 

[Bmxr152]

I have been making over 400whp for 2 years and the last couple months been pushing 540whp on the stock bottom end. As long as your tune is good and you keep on maintenance items and start out with a good compression motor im sure you can use the stock stuff for a while. I will be going to wiseco hd's and I beams here in the summer just to be safe though and that way i can bump up the boost a little more.

 

[dsmcurse]

I've personaly seen three differant friends ruin Wiseco Piston. For some reason because of that I'm not a fan. Ross Racing Pistons, CP Racing Pistons or Arias Pistons I've seen nothin but good come from these guys. Regular 'ol off the shelf Eagle H-Beams will be most choice for you in this situation. As they're definatley strong, they rather easy to get and they won't break the bank. The aulminum rods.... Id stay away from 'em if the car is gonna see a lot of daily use. I say this because of this: earlier this year (summer time) my friend Alex battled this guys Lan Evo 9, the Evo was ultra expensive build spared no expense was built by English Racing, the Evo was rockin aulminum rods and the motor failed. Alex told me the Evo was hot on his ass only a car length away, kept at it kept at it, at about 150ish the Evo fell completley back and later came to a stop. Well the Evo had engine failure. About a month later hanging out at the popular taco wagon in town gettin some grub we bump into the guy. He explained how his engine failed do to an aluminum rod lettin go. He said the boys at English told him those rods are basically meant to be run 1300 feet at a time. Quarter mile type of use. They couldn't withstand the punishment of a freeway battle.


Ross pistons, CP pistons or Arias pistons would be my weapon of choice, and rods? Tried and proven trust worthy Eagle H for the win. I'm on Ross pistons and Eagle rods, best dyno sheet to date is 621(recorded in may) I'm probably closer to 650awhp. And my buddy boostdriven is on Arias pistons with Eagle rods, back in may he got 663awhp on a heart breaker dyno, and he in all reality is knockin on the 700awhp door right now. Eagle for the win, they're super duper tuff

 

[T is for TURBO]

I'm with dsmcurse on this one. Eagle rods/Ross pistons. Cheap, reliable, and strong. Most people will never push them to their limit.

 

[boost97gst]

I can throw another hat in the ring. Eagle rods. Been good to me. Pistons? I have to take others advice on that and say ross/cp. Wiseco HDs too, lets not forget that no one has had a horror story about the HD variety, only the standard wisecos got bashed.
Look in the dyno challenge and just keep clicking on users to see what they have. Its pretty well varied.

 

[Blaze4G63]

Our go to combo for that kind of power is Wiseco standard duty pistons and Manley or Eagle rods. Manley pistons are available as well but don't have all the features of the Wiseco. A completely machinesd, assembled and balanced 2.0 shortblock with those components is around $2500.

could you guys do ross pistons? Also what is your warranty if any?

 

[JacksonAuto]

We don't carry Ross pistons but you could supply them if that's what you want to use. Our warranty covers any failures resulting from defective parts which we supplied and any labor we performed.

 

[Aproductions]

I went with a Manley/Manley combo for my build. Good quality parts

 

[-red97rum-]

Up to 500whp, there's nothing wrong with a stock 6 bolt IMO.

Yep. Stock 6 bolt has no problem handling these power levels, but a forged setup will do it more reliably.

 

[Phantom DSM]

I've personaly seen three differant friends ruin Wiseco Piston. For some reason because of that I'm not a fan. Ross Racing Pistons, CP Racing Pistons or Arias Pistons I've seen nothin but good come from these guys. Regular 'ol off the shelf Eagle H-Beams will be most choice for you in this situation. As they're definatley strong, they rather easy to get and they won't break the bank. The aulminum rods.... Id stay away from 'em if the car is gonna see a lot of daily use. I say this because of this: earlier this year (summer time) my friend Alex battled this guys Lan Evo 9, the Evo was ultra expensive build spared no expense was built by English Racing, the Evo was rockin aulminum rods and the motor failed. Alex told me the Evo was hot on his ass only a car length away, kept at it kept at it, at about 150ish the Evo fell completley back and later came to a stop. Well the Evo had engine failure. About a month later hanging out at the popular taco wagon in town gettin some grub we bump into the guy. He explained how his engine failed do to an aluminum rod lettin go. He said the boys at English told him those rods are basically meant to be run 1300 feet at a time. Quarter mile type of use. They couldn't withstand the punishment of a freeway battle.


Ross pistons, CP pistons or Arias pistons would be my weapon of choice, and rods? Tried and proven trust worthy Eagle H for the win. I'm on Ross pistons and Eagle rods, best dyno sheet to date is 621(recorded in may) I'm probably closer to 650awhp. And my buddy boostdriven is on Arias pistons with Eagle rods, back in may he got 663awhp on a heart breaker dyno, and he in all reality is knockin on the 700awhp door right now. Eagle for the win, they're super duper tuff

WTF This does not make sense that an aluminum rod motor is good for a 1/4 mile only(its actually 1320 feet to be exact btw) All the myths about alum rod stretch and failures due to street or highway use from 30 years ago have been debunked. Something else went wrong with that motor, if no expense was spared. I doubt the guy was telling you the whole story, and i doubt English would build a motor just for dragstrip unless the block was filled with no cooling provision.

To the OP: Ross/arias pistons with manley/eagle rods.. should get the job done. Take your pick of which combo.Many Dsm'ers have gone farther than 400-500 with that. JAM, Force engineering, SIM, and many other reputable vendors can build your block if you want.

 

[LandSpeed-DSM]

6-bolt Rod/Piston with ARP Rod/Head fasteners and ACL "Race" Bearings.. going on 5 years now. Car recently made ~515whp/360wtq on a Mustang dyno before we stepped up to a bigger set of injectors, looking to up boost a bit more and probably going to stop around 400wtq for now which would put us between 550-600 depending on timing/rpm.

Torque (cylinder pressure/heat) is more the enemy here than HP.

 

[JacksonAuto]

I went with a Manley/Manley combo for my build. Good quality parts

There's more to piston selection than just a name or using them because a buddy has them in his engine. The Manley pistons are well-designed and are a quality product but lack several beneficial features. The do not have forced pin oilers. The oil drainback orifices are insufficient and the ring package is not as good as other manufacturers provide. The rings are thicker (more friction) and the second ring is not napier cut. It's a shame because we try to use a lot of Manley products. Their support is fantastic and their QC is second to none.

 

[Archer Fabrications]

Our go to combo for that kind of power is Wiseco standard duty pistons and Manley or Eagle rods. Manley pistons are available as well but don't have all the features of the Wiseco. A completely machinesd, assembled and balanced 2.0 shortblock with those components is around $2500.

Shich doesnt include front case oil pump gears etc, just machining, pistons rods and bearings assembled blue printed and shipped back block/pistons/rods only correct? I think some get a little confused when shortocm is said thinking it includes front case and all the goodies under there.

 

[Spoolingaround]

Up to 500whp, there's nothing wrong with a stock 6 bolt IMO.

I second that. Or go with a 1G rod and evo or 2G piston combo.

 

[AK Maniak]

The stock bottom end should be fine but I've always been a fan of over building if you will. If my motor could last at 500hp i'd rather just spend the money up front and be sure that it can handle it.

 

[dsmcurse]

WTF This does not make sense that an aluminum rod motor is good for a 1/4 mile only(its actually 1320 feet to be exact btw) All the myths about alum rod stretch and failures due to street or highway use from 30 years ago have been debunked. Something else went wrong with that motor, if no expense was spared. I doubt the guy was telling you the whole story, and i doubt English would build a motor just for dragstrip unless the block was filled with no cooling provision.

To the OP: Ross/arias pistons with manley/eagle rods.. should get the job done. Take your pick of which combo.Many Dsm'ers have gone farther than 400-500 with that. JAM, Force engineering, SIM, and many other reputable vendors can build your block if you want.

Yes theres one thousand three hundred and twenty feet in a quarter mile, duh. And yes, this was the guys story he told us. Yep, just because thats what he said doesnt make it true. And yes, my buddy Alex said the Evo stayed a consistant car length away all the way untill 5th, then mayhem struck the Evo and he was dead in the water. Twelve years experience in the DSM game, and as a proud member of the six hundred horse power club I do got a pretty decent understanding of the recipe it takes to make big power. For a car thats gonna see everyday use, I wouldnt use the aluminum rods, or Wiseco pistons. But thats just me, were all entitled to our opinions right?

 

[lasthope05]

Yes theres one thousand three hundred and twenty feet in a quarter mile, duh. And yes, this was the guys story he told us. Yep, just because thats what he said doesnt make it true. And yes, my buddy Alex said the Evo stayed a consistant car length away all the way untill 5th, then mayhem struck the Evo and he was dead in the water. Twelve years experience in the DSM game, and as a proud member of the six hundred horse power club I do got a pretty decent understanding of the recipe it takes to make big power. For a car thats gonna see everyday use, I wouldnt use the aluminum rods, or Wiseco pistons. But thats just me, were all entitled to our opinions right?

You need to stop touting what your car makes and your years in the field and peoples experience. It doesn't make you look like a wiseman. To be honest, it just makes you look like a dick. Every reply from you always mention those three things to back yourself up.

 

[untouchablecc]

no flamming war please. Im sure we could all whip it out and see whos been pissing in the dsm game the longest and many people have been here much longer and know much more. Back on track. If he doesnt like wiseco pistons good for him.

I how ever daily drove mine for 3 years on a wiseco eagle combo at 450 hp with no complaints. The engine was running and had roughly 190 psi across the board when I sold the engine to a guy in wisconson. I bought USED wisco pistons off a member on here and new eagle h beams because I got them for a steal. I had 600 dollars tied up into my bottom end oil pan to head studs, no balancing did my own work. I also am laying down close to 450whp on a 2g piston 1g rod bottom end that I have been daily driving for the last year. The only problem with this is on higher hp levels you essentially cant have any knock on factory pistons. Yes you can get away with great power on stock parts but with a good tune. If your self building and self tuning choose your favorite forged piston and rod combo and slap it in, it will be good for your power level and much safer then stock. All it takes is 1 cracked factory ring land to ruin your day. If I were to build another engine I would purchase the wiseco HD and eagle I beams for the simple fact that its pretty much bullet proof at that point.

 

[boost97gst]

^^^^ This. A LOT of it comes down to the tune. A custom set of $1000 pistons can be junked in 5 miles with a bad tune, while a set of stock pistons on a good tune would take a beating for years.

 

[lasthope05]

no flamming war please. Im sure we could all whip it out and see whos been pissing in the dsm game the longest and many people have been here much longer and know much more. Back on track. If he doesnt like wiseco pistons good for him.

I wasn't trying to start anything. This was just the third time I've seen him post in a condescending tone of his "knowledge". Im supprised he didn't try to belittle the guy by calling him "jr" also. It just irks me, that's all. Either way I'm ready to drop it.

I personally can't say I've ever had a bad experience with any piston manufacturer, granted I've only run wiseco, mahle, ross, and Manley.Most if not all will hold that power level no problem.

In regards to aluminum rods, they are very streetable as long you don't engine brake and put the motor into vacuum. With that said I'm going with an aluninum RnR or Darrens Vader rods with my spare block that's going to be street driven.

 

[bskills]

I have a Manley/Manley and made 418hp before my clutch went, was on my way to 500hp, but lost a piston along the way, about to replace them and continue.

 

[untouchablecc]

I wasn't trying to start anything. This was just the third time I've seen him post in a condescending tone of his "knowledge". Im supprised he didn't try to belittle the guy by calling him "jr" also. It just irks me, that's all. Either way I'm ready to drop it.

I personally can't say I've ever had a bad experience with any piston manufacturer, granted I've only run wiseco, mahle, and Manley.Most if not all will hold that power level no problem.

In regards to aluminum rods, they are very streetable as long you don't engine brake and put the motor into vacuum. With that said I'm going with an aluninum RnR or Darrens Vader rods with my spare block that's going to be street driven.

I know I was just redirecting the post before It got somewhere it didnt need to be. I do agree with you though, ive seen a lot of "friction come from his posts and flame wars started" I honestly don't want to see 20 posts of him and someone else going back and fourth because I could care less. It ruins the thread.

Ive actually learned quite a bit from jackson machine in regards to Manley pistons and didnt realize that they were considered sub-par to other manufactures. No complaints about there rods though from what I see. I know I won't be considering those pistons in my next build after seeing a machine shops view point on them.