broken piece off of #8 piston!

[broken_joke]

i am doing a cam swap and i pulled the heads so i could do a piston to valve clearance check. over a year ago i went to the strip for the first time and missed a shift on my second run. i thought i just blew a spark plug. the plug was missing all the ceramic insulation. well i took off the driver side head today and noticed that #8 was really rough looking on the cylinder head. i looked at the piston itself and noticed a piece missing from #8 on the relief !
i been driving on this thing for over a year and have not been driving conservatively. i usually jump on the thing getting on the interstate and other times of course. i didn't know cause i did a compression check not long after going to the dragstrip. all was good! now i am concerned cause i am sure i will be making more power with this new cam. all the other pistons look fine?
should i be looking for a new shortblock or am i worrying over nothing?
jake

 

[ProKiller]

i don't think you need to look for a new block. maybe start pricing a rebuild. replace the piston and do a freshening up.

 

[Killercanary]

I'd definitely at a minimum replace the pistons (might as well do them all do that PTV clearance isn't an issue) and have it balanced. I wouldn't be surprised if the rotating assembly is a good bit our of whack in terms of balancing with a chunk missing from the top of the piston.

 

[Green 94 5.0]

i would also recommend rethinking your tune. if the spark plug is destroyed and there is a chunk missing from a piston, you have some major issues with detonation.

 

[Stangfreak95]

Yeah rebuild it before you end up like me..
http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/9210/im004061a1ww.jpg

 

[Methodical]

i don't think you need to look for a new block. maybe start pricing a rebuild. replace the piston and do a freshening up.

Why a new block? Why not pull and replace pistons?

 

[broken_joke]

pulling the piston? i guess i would need to pull the motor out to do this?
thanks
jake