Where to get Pistons?

My engine builder advises that whatever piston I get should have floated wrist pins. So far I haven't been able to find any. The motor is a sbb 350. I'd also like some advise as to whether I should get cast, forged or hypereutectic. The motor is a mild budget minded build so I don't want to go crazy on this one part. Any ideas?

 

what do you want to do?
power you want to make?
other modifications to car
purpose for engine build?
you need to know what you want to do with engine before you can make that desicion
call AM&P mike phillips for forged 9.5-10 to 1 pistons
hypers are ok but compresion is lower then advertised and 75-80 blocks have higher deck which will drop comp even farther
cast are ok for street use and can make 300 hp or more with
if you want to run NOS get the forged
supercharged or turbo pistons can use turbo v6 pistons cast,hyper or forged
depending on boost level and NOS
tell this guy pistons are same as buick v6
floated pin? never heard that ,maybe he is alittle off

 

I want to do a rebuild of my 350. I'm not building it to be a power house but it does need a rebuild so I am adding headers, a true dual system with x-pipe and magnaflow mufflers, a TA Perf 284-88H cam with lifters, an early cast iron intake and some machining, as well as some other little things that I am forgetting. Its a 73 block. I am not running NOS or forced industion. I am re-using the stock 4-barrel with improvements from Mr. Osbourne as well as the stock dist with a Pertronix points eliminator and a re-curve job. I want to get pistons that have a higher CR, as close to 10:1 that I can get . I was actually happy with the way the car ran this past summer. The only issues I had were the clouds of smoke and the inability to roast the 285/60-18's on the rear. The way my mechanic describes it is that the wrist pin not only moves on the rod end but it moves in the piston as well. I have actually seen ads for floated pistons for Chevys and Fords so my guy is not "off". I am not willing to spend more than the cast pistons from TA Perf or the Hypers from Poston. I can spend that extra money on other stuff. The car is not going to be a racer, just a mild street car. I drive it around 100 miles a day in the summer. As far as I know, Mr Phillips product is way more than I need. I would be happy with the pistons from Poston or TA, but I want to know what else my options were in a floated piston set-up. Thanks

 

Explain this please? Never heard this before.

 

they are advertised as 10 to 1 but they are .055 lower comp hieght
the stock replacements and those are not really up to factory spec
ta cast might be the better choice
i have run both and dont feel the hypers gave the compression i was looking for,i wanted a motor as powerful(or more) then an actual 70 hi comp gs 350
i drove 2 and was impressed that the 350s where that powerful
i tried to make the same but the hypers and the cam i chose didnt make the same power . it made good power but was down atleast 60 hp
cam was advertised 35 over factory cam
i also found that 70 engine had steel shim head gaskets(020 thick) which made up even more compression over stock 043 thick felpros
buick rods have pins pressed in rods so unless you get custom pistons $$$
thats what you will end up with
lunati has some new voodoo cams for buick 350 that you might want to look at also

 

Federal Mogul Sealed Power Forged Pistons. I have them in my mild 462 street motor. not to bad price either $410.00 Check their website. I assume you can get for a 350.

 

Can't get them for the 350 anymore....

 

the forged pistons from mike at amp can be installed either way - pressed or "floating" . pressed are ok for regular duty - floating good in case the engine is gonna come apart ( the good way ) once in awhile . the top end of the rod needs to be bushed to use these . del

 

You have NO need for full-floating pins in a mild build like that. Your builder is nuts--or--he's screwed up your rods and now there isn't any press-fit between the small end of the rod and your piston pins.

Full floating pins are useful ONLY when you intend to pull the pistons off the rods and still have the pistons be re-useable. In any other situation, it's not only a total waste of money, but it's asking for problems--if the circlips pop out, you'll gouge the cylinder wall with the pin. For your application, you DO NOT WANT full-floating pins.

By the way, be aware that ALL pins float in the piston; the full-floating pins also float in the ROD. Yes, it's best to have a bronze bushing in the rod when doing this; but "some" folks get by without. The difference in the piston is that if you have no press-fit in the rod to retain the pin, you need grooves machined into the pin bores of the pistons for the snap-rings (circlips) to pop into.

 

You assume too much Schurkey. Thats twice in this thread that he has been insulted. He hasn't even cracked into the motor yet. He suggested that type of piston because I am buying pistons anyway and it is a good way to make some power. I am just trying to get all the parts ready so I don't waste time in the spring. So without going too much further with this, what would be the best piston to get. The ones from TA perf or the Postons? I'm leaning towards the Postons.

 

Call Wiseco and see what they can do for you. They make the 350 pistons as I have the prototype set in my engine. They have two versions, a standard and race. And, they make them in any configuration you'd want.

 

If he thinks floating pins make power, I'm correct--he's nuts. And you should be looking for another builder.

I stand by my previous post. For any engine that isn't going to have the pistons routinely pulled off the rods (and that would be anything used on the street, and most low-level race engines) floating pins are not only "not needed" but could be a potential problem area leading to considerable damage if the circlips are not installed properly. Compared to a nice, simple, reliable and inexpensive press-fit, there's no advantage for you, despite possibly spending extra for the pistons and for the additional labor to hone and perhaps install bushings in the rods; and fit the pins/circlips to the pistons.

MAYBE you will need to buy pistons suitable for full-floating pins simply because they are made with a suitable compression ratio, dome shape, or whatever. If the pistons you need turn out to be machined for full-floating pins--FINE. You don't have to fully-float the pins to use those pistons--you can still use the normal press-fit into the rod, and then you won't need the circlips. Everything is happy. Put another way: Pistons that are suitable for fully-floating pins can also be used with a press-fit pin. Pistons that are not suitable for fully-floating pins would have to have keeper (circlip) grooves machined into them to retain the pin if used in a full-floating application.

Far as I know, no-one is using the old teflon-button pin retainers anymore.

 

it seems he is not wanting to spend on expensive pistons
will have to go with off the shelf stuff

 

Ahh you were talking about a specific piston from a certain manufacturer. Thought you were refering to hypers in general. Just confused me a little.

 

in general for any 350 buick hyper/v6hyper