Fei

I feel like an *** for posting this cause I know it's been cover but I really can't seem to find a good answer.

Can I use gen 1 pistons and rings. I would just like to clear up the confusion.

I've seen people using 2 relief pistons and what not.

rskrause

If you are talking typical flat tops with valve reliefs, yes.

Rich

1996camaroSSclone

Can you run gen 1 dome pistons? If not where can I buy dome pistons or dish for the matter for the gen 2?

mdacton

gen 1 will work...for the most part. You can't run huge domes (pop-ups) with a real small chamber.....

WS Sick

You can run any proper size (ie to your bore) SBC piston in an LT1.
Now chamber and valve interference will limit the dome style you use, so make sure they clear or you'll have to hand clearance them yourself.


Its always best to mock up your engine a few times, and very important to check before hand what will need to be done.
Most LT1s have chambers in the 58-55 cc range so most domes will make stupid compression with stock alum LT1 heads.

1996camaroSSclone

Ok. I will stick to flat tops because if I get the money saved up I don't want an outrageous amount of compression.

Fei

I was just gonna get a set if 2 relief flat tops with 5cc volume.

I just wanted to double check before I order. Same goes for rings? I noticed rings for an lt1 cost a ton more than sbc rings.

mdacton

get the rings to match the pistons...they don't have to be LT1.

Do your homework on everything, you can still get very high compression with a flat top. Its pretty basic stuff just search around for it.

chamber CC on the head, piston ht., piston cc + or - cc., head gasket thickness.....you can play around with the numbers to see what you need to do to get where you want it

Fei

wait... I was gonna go with 5cc so I wouldn't have super high compression.

5cc flattop with .032 head gasket and 54cc heads was gonna put me in high 11.xx:1 is this not correct? am I putting something into the calc wrong?

mdacton

you will be higher than that.

whats the deck ht.? you need to talk with your machinist

Fei

ok here is what I put in. I know this is just and estimate as I don't know the actual piston deck clearance so I want with the average guesstimate of .022

Bore size = 4.040
Head gasket bore = 4.100
Stroke = 3.48
head gasket compressed = .032
head volume = 54cc
piston volume = -5 (I've seen this both ways but on my calc - means adding volume to the chamber, opposite of a dome)

that puts SCR at 11.36:1

am I missing something here? Assuming no machine work to the deck or heads obviously.

mdacton

Try several different calculators, It din't ask for deck ht?
The piston could be 20 in the hole or 5 in the hole.....

Fei

isn't that what piston to deck clearance of .022 means?

mdacton

yeah.....I'm used to seeing it as -0.022 or either the acctual deck ht.

But like I said try different calculators

Fei

yea I've noticed they all like to use - or + numbers very liberally. Suppose it comes from looking at it from the pistons point of view or the heads point of view

So I used one I found on google then I noticed we had one here so I checked it out. both fall mid 11's. So I think I should be A-OK

Thanks for the help with this though. I was slightly confused... also why is that there is a different listing for gen II stuff when gen I works?