Cast Iron Pistons, Should they stay or Should they go....

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2012: Cast Iron Pistons, Should they stay or Should they go....
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Scott Gilham Bellflower Ca. on Wednesday, August 29, 2012 - 12:32 am:

Got a question for the forum. In all my buying and selling of parts this summer I have 4 sets?/16 cast iron pistons. Some look pretty good and a couple are scored and scuffed. I'm reluctant to just scrap them if there might be someone out there who would use them. I mean, hey, I paid for these in parts lots I picked up so selling is the better way for me but....
I know from reading the forum that there is a cast iron/aluminum debate that continues.....
1.Should I weed out the real junk and Take measurements of the nicer ones and give selling a try?
2.Toss them in the scrap bin


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Roger Karlsson, southern Sweden on Wednesday, August 29, 2012 - 12:35 am:

Oversize cast iron piston could have a value. Used std ones? Other than keep one to test magnets I don't know of any good use for them?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Matthew David Maiers on Wednesday, August 29, 2012 - 12:49 am:

i think it would be a good idea to hold on to them.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Wayne Sheldon, Grass Valley, CA on Wednesday, August 29, 2012 - 02:56 am:

I have several blocks yet with good standard bores. And I have used cast iron pistons in some of my Ts. I have never had trouble from them. I do balance them as well as the rods. Also, I will tell you, they are not worth much. A good friend of mine that sells quite a bit on eBad tried to sell a nice set several times. He couldn't even get a $5 bid (plus shipping) for them. He then gave them to me saying he knew I would use them. I did offer him his $5 but he refused it. I am readying them to go into an engine now.
Drive carefully, and enjoy, W2


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By kep NZ on Wednesday, August 29, 2012 - 04:10 am:

From what i gather on past posts some cast iron pistons are lighter than the heaviest alloy ones. There is a market for them it might take time to find it though. Mostly purists who want nothing but original parts and people like that.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Kenny Edmondson, Indianapolis on Wednesday, August 29, 2012 - 06:25 am:

Scott, good question. I've got about 10 sets that are nice. I hate to scrap them but they take up a lot of room also.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Royce in Dallas TX on Wednesday, August 29, 2012 - 06:46 am:

Kep,

Perhaps one cast iron piston is lighter than four of the heaviest alloy pistons. There's certainly no cast iron piston that is lighter than any aluminum piston!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Gary Tillstrom on Wednesday, August 29, 2012 - 07:41 am:

I'm sure they would all clean up nicely and even those without scoring might look new. One of the problems is wear in the lands. If the clearance between the ring and land is excessive, the ring will move up and down pumping oil causing high oil consumption.

This is my take on cast iron pistons. If I pulled an engine apart that was still standard and the lands were not worn and I was only going to use the car occasionally I would use them with a new set of rings. Otherwise, I would always opt for the lighter aluminum.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Charlie B actually in Toms River N.J. on Wednesday, August 29, 2012 - 02:28 pm:

There's a use for everything T.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mike Spaziano, Bellflower, CA. on Wednesday, August 29, 2012 - 02:42 pm:

I tried to sell 2-3 boxes of them for three or four years in a row at the Long Beach Meet back in the late 90's-early 2000's and had no luck at all.

Maybe they were priced too high you ask? They weren't priced at all. They never even got a look.

They hit the dumpster at the last meet held at Cerritos College.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bill Thompson on Wednesday, August 29, 2012 - 02:45 pm:

Can you still buy rings for cast iron pistons?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Scott Conger on Wednesday, August 29, 2012 - 02:58 pm:

Perhaps wishful thinking or some such, but I swear that CI pistons allow a T to idle down and sound much better than aluminum. Certainly can't dispute that AL is much kinder to the engine at higher speeds, though.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mike Garrison on Wednesday, August 29, 2012 - 03:13 pm:

"Can you still buy rings for cast iron pistons?"

Yep, without a doubt. I also agree with what Gary Tillstrom said. When I pull my '26 apart this winter, if the cylinders aren't tapered and they're within original bore tolerance and if the bottom of the pistons checked within size I'd without a doubt put a new set of rings on, check the straightness of the rods, check and set the clearance on the rod caps, put in new timing gears, and cut new valve seats and lap in new valves. All that and a set of gaskets should do just fine. However let only one part of this procedure fail because of extensive wear and I'll have to take the engine in for boring, rebabbitting and all the other requirements of a total engine (and transmission) rebuild. And then I'd go to aluminum pistons. And I should add, I have little faith that I'll find the engine doesn't have extensive wear. I'm already trying to figure where I'm going to get the money when I take the block into the machine shop. :-).


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Philip Berg on Wednesday, August 29, 2012 - 04:49 pm:

Don't throw those pistons away. I want to run them in my 16 Coupelet. Of the four I have one has issues and I'll need to replace it.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By mike conrad on Wednesday, August 29, 2012 - 05:31 pm:

Scrap them! Why would anyone use cast iron pistons on a new rebuild? Do your 90+ year old engine a favor and rebuild it with lightweight alum. pistons your babbitt bearings will thank you.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Tomaso - Milton,WA on Wednesday, August 29, 2012 - 06:37 pm:

Because of limited funding, Mike. I installed the standard iron pistons back in Diane's coupe after it was rebabbitted - you remember that T - run all day at 40 mph !


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Craig Anderson, central Wisconsin on Wednesday, August 29, 2012 - 06:49 pm:

My '20 Coupe still has cast iron pistons.
It will idle so slow if it had a magneto the impulse would kick in.
My '27 Tudor does too and runs the same way......sweet.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By mike conrad on Wednesday, August 29, 2012 - 07:05 pm:

I remember that nice car well. It was a great runner. I thought I was looking at my 1st T as they were twins. Do you know where that car ended up? Sure wish I had the money or the space to store all the T's I loved. But what I would I do with a couple hundred T's??


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Scott Gilham Bellflower Ca. on Wednesday, August 29, 2012 - 11:35 pm:

Thanks Guys for the info.
Philip, give me a measurement and I'll mike what I have. Oh, and by the way. Your not the guy looking for 1- .040 over cast iron piston are you? If you are, you have a host of friends and I could have sold at least 10- .040 over cast iron pistons at the last three swap meets :-)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Matthew Atchinson on Thursday, August 30, 2012 - 09:54 am:

Good discussion guys. I am just a broke college trying to build a T. So when I rebuilt the engine with my local Ford club this summer, I opted to keep the CI pistons so that I would have to buy aluminum ones and new rods. I do intend to have the engine rebuilt professionally some day. When I do, then i'll swap out for a new crankshaft, rods, pistons, valves, and cam. Until then I think i'll be ok with the original stuff.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Matthew Atchinson on Thursday, August 30, 2012 - 09:55 am:

"broke college kid" Man I need to proof read :-)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Philip Berg on Thursday, August 30, 2012 - 12:15 pm:

Do you want to part with the pistons anytime soon? Not sure when I'll get to the engine.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Willie Rathbone on Thursday, August 30, 2012 - 12:20 pm:

The vibration helps remind me Iam riding in a T


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Scott Gilham Bellflower Ca. on Thursday, August 30, 2012 - 09:42 pm:

Philip, I'll be cleaning, measuring and boxing up for storage.When you get that far drop me a note and we'll compare measurement's.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By kep NZ on Friday, August 31, 2012 - 06:43 am:

Are cast iron pistons quieter? Because i have some really noisy alloy ones that move sideways alot. So i read in a book from the 1960's about applying iron to the outside of alloy pistons to make them wear better but maybe the iron cracked and fell off when the pistons expanded?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Kerry van Ekeren (Australia) on Friday, August 31, 2012 - 07:58 am:

Kep, I don't know about iron, but tin electro plating was done on cast and aluminium pistons.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Philip Berg on Friday, August 31, 2012 - 12:06 pm:

Okay thanks Scott. Just waiting for my engine stand adapter to show up from Langs. It will be shipped with some back ordered parts so it will be a few weeks I'm guessing.


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