To JE piston or not to JE piston, that is the question

[2 QK 4 U]

I'm intending on an 11 second daily driver with high 10 second track capabilities. TRWs or JEs. Price is not a concern. TIA, Jason

 

[Slow91z]

If money's no object I'd go JE everytime, very few exceptions, and none of them are in a performance engine.

 

[KendallF]

Originally posted by 2 QK 4 U
I'm intending on an 11 second daily driver with high 10 second track capabilities. TRWs or JEs. Price is not a concern. TIA, Jason

I would use the TRWs..because it's going to be a daily driver. You can run the TRWs with closer wall clearance (.003-.0045 vs. .006-007 for the JEs) because the TRW's VMS-75 alloy expands less than the 2618 used in the JEs.

The TRWs are in many 10 second TRs, and in a stock block, you're more likely to blow a head gasket or hurt the crank before you burn a piston up. The JEs are stronger, lighter, and in an all out race application they're better, but for long term daily driver use, the tighter clearance TRWs will wear better.

 

[2 QK 4 U]

Re: Re: To JE piston or not to JE piston, that is the question

Originally posted by KendallF
I would use the TRWs..because it's going to be a daily driver. You can run the TRWs with closer wall clearance (.003-.0045 vs. .006-007 for the JEs) because the TRW's VMS-75 alloy expands less than the 2618 used in the JEs.

The TRWs are in many 10 second TRs, and in a stock block, you're more likely to blow a head gasket or hurt the crank before you burn a piston up. The JEs are stronger, lighter, and in an all out race application they're better, but for long term daily driver use, the tighter clearance TRWs will wear better.

That makes a lot of good sense, the car will probably see more street use than I plan on. Sounds good to me. Thanks.

 

[frankg]

I agree 100% go with the Speed-pro Forged(TRW) pistons they are a very good piston for the $$$. Frank

 

[Lee Thompson]

pistons

With J & E and a 4.015 bore on a street and track eng. I run .004 wall clearance. No noise on start up.. IMO either piston will be more than enough.

 

[snodgrass]

I just got mine running last week with the JE's. It is a little noisey on start up like the guys already said. The reason I went JE was because when I bought them the TRW's came with super heavy weight pins. If I bought the TRW's then bought light weight pins, I would be close to the price of the JE's. Now I think the TRW's come with lighter pins, but I'm not sure. Also, the JE's can be bought off the shelf in a .020 size, which appealed to me. I'm not a fan of thin cylinder walls. Not that it's much of a difference, but it also leaves room for another overbore. All said and done, I would go with TRW's if they come with the lighter pins.

 

[Intercooler]

Never had the TRW's in a motor but they are heavy. The J&E's I have run and they are about the best out there. How about Diamond pistons? I remember their was an advantage to those but can't remember it.

I have been running $150.00 Federal Mogul Hyperutectics just fine down to low 11's with more to go. We just had a car at my local track go 10.10@130 MPH with the same pistons at 36 PSI on a .040" bore. You can set them up real tight and they work awesome! I have .020" pistons so that also meets your overbore.

 

[norbs]

The trw pistons , don't have the piston pins oiled by the cylinder walls the je's have postive pin oiling, enough reason to use them over the trw's in my opinion.

 

[cool 84]

On my motor, my dad's, and two friends, when the engines came apart, the pins were nearly welded to the piston. On most of them you could barely move the rod on the piston. This was with TRWs. I also had the ringland between the top and second ring break while I was just cruising. These were all separtate motors with different engine builders. I went with JEs this time.

 

[Slow91z]

See??

 

[HighPSI]

I have taken apart quite a few engines with TRW's that have had wrist pin problems. They just don't get enough oil splashed on the pin.
On all the engines I build, I use J&E's. Most of the engines I build are only .005 over. This leaves a lot of room to "grow" in the future. I always cringe when I hear of a guy with a standard bore engine buying .030 over TRW's.

FWIW: Piston to wall clearance is .0055 max.

 

[2 QK 4 U]

How is the design different with the pins on the J&Es opposed to the TRWs ? Someone mentioned a positive pin oiling...how does that work?

Also, I've seen a variety of piston wall clearance with the JEs. I definetely don't want any noise.

Are the J&Es bushed or press in pins? TIA, very good responses, Jason

 

[Chris McDade]

I've been running TRW's with JE light weight wrist pins for 3 years now with no problems. I just put new bearings in the car and check the rods and pins. They where all in good shape.

Hope that helps.

 

[2 QK 4 U]

When buying the TRWs do you have to pitch the pins they come with and buy the JE lightweight pins?

 

[Chris McDade]

Yes, you have to buy the pin separately. If I remember correctly they pistons where about $350.00 and the pins where about $140.00. I have part numbers if you need them.

 

[2 QK 4 U]

Chris, I would appreciate p/n's thanks.

 

[ijames]

The TRWs, with the pin that comes with them, are the same weight as stock so the engine balance is right for the "stock replacement" market. You can use the light pins but you will have to rebalance everything. I remember discussion 1-2 years ago about pin oiling, and someone recommending drilling extra oiling holes for the pins in TRWs. I thought someone else reported that they were changing the design to fix this?

 

[Jeff Rand]

A number of engine builders (Lee Performance, New Performance, Lou's automotive, Kenny Dutweiler) on the west coast are switching over to CP Pistons. CP is located in Irvine Ca. and as the story goes the group originally came from J&E pistons. Their lead times and prices are better then J&E and from what I have seen, the quality is excellent.
Jeff

 

[TType85]

I'd go with the J&E's. Less weight. Every little bit helps when you want easy 11's.