Anyone here running stock compression cast pistons in a 354 Hemi? I am collecting parts for my 354 it is going into a 34 coupe for street use, it might get blasted down a drag strip occasionally just for a bit of fun. I was thinking of running 10:1 forged pistons but wondered if I would be ok with 9:1 cast pistons? I am going to use a 5 speed manual trans .
Cast pistons will hold up fine. Just remember that no matter what you have in it for pistons, if the 'Tune-Up' isn't dead-on, it's gonna hurt the rings and pistons with regular unleaded fuel. So, what I'm saying is, WHEN you decide to head out to the Strip, buy 3 gallons on Race gas and run it in the tank while your beat'n the **** outta it.
I was talked out of the cast pistons. Not sure if they were right or not, but it is not cheap to build one of these engines. It depends if you will be proud of the fact that you built it cheap? Or if you will be sorry that you cut corners. The way I built mine is the expensive way, but there will be no cuda shuda wouda. If you want 10 to 1. Then do it. 354's are not a dime a dozzen, and spendy to get into. Good luck. I am an advocate of doing it right the first time. Oh yeah, I sent back a slightly used set of 10 to 1 EGGE cast pistons that I bought. They had been bead blasted. The beadblasting showed up all kinds of porosity and imperfections that made me uncomfortable. I also did not like the fact that the cast pistons had steel reinforcement cast into them. Not only is steel heavy, it creates galvanic corrosion when touching aluminum. Might never be a problem. But I do not like the idea.
As far as I know, every hemi from '51-'58 came with cast pistons. Just be honest with yourself as to what sort of use the engine will see. I've worked in both parts stores and machine shops, and spent most of my time trying to talk customers out of building their engine for use it was going to see 0.05 per cent of the time.
True. Cars were built to: fill to capacity with family and luggage and floor it on the acceleration lane to the highway. Then there is the issue of sound. A full point of compression does make a difference. The cam does too. As Heathen said, be honest about what use it will see, but balance that with what you want.
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