Piston and heat

[moosetang408w]

I was wondering if polishing the tops of your pistons help with reflecting heat. I wanted to know how try this is because heat not put into the piston is energy for a little bit more power but more importantly expansion of the piston and rings. If it helps even a bit I want to do it before I install them back into the engine.

 

[194stang]

It might help a little for a short time. A street driven car will carbon up the pistons pretty quick I would think. I have seen thermal coatings you can have applied that are supposed to do just that. No idea how expensive it is though.

 

[final5-0]

I have seen some say that polishing or cleaning the tops of pistons while they are in the motor can allow some of that carbon and other material to fall down into the ring grooves which can cause probs.

Later
Grady

 

[94CobraPace]

If you are that worried about heat, then get the pistons coated.

 

[Joes95GT]

Way back in the day (i.e. Grady's era ), guys used to polish the tops of pistons. They could never find if it helped or not.

My contention is this....

If the polished top reflects heat, that heat is still in the chamber even if it is "reflected". Where is it going to go?

Joe

 

[final5-0]

I was thinking that if you are gonna do that, what about polishing the chamber in the head?

Later
Grady

 

[mo_dingo]

The only thing polishing the pistons will do is lessen the buildup of carbon.

Heat will still be transfered through because iron sucks up heat like no tomorrow.

Changing to aluminum pistons would be a great way of reducing heat, as aluminum is a great conductor of heat.
Scott