N2OpwrdTA

I was bored and just wanted to put in some good words for the speedpro powerforged pistons since the search feature doesnt bring up much on them. I have read tons of things about how the "cheaper" pistons(compared to Ross, JE etc) can have totally different weights, formed bad, etc.

Other companies like JE, ROSS, etc always say....our pistons are within a gram of each other. Most of the post I read say thats one of the main factors they are worth all the cash(according to most of you). The speedpros are damn close to those tolerances for a third of the price.

The set of pistons I got were excellent condition(new of course, but defect free). They are SpeedPro Powerforged flat top pistons. Everything was formed perfectly(no odd/misaligned stamps, etc) and they were all nearly the same in weight.

7 of the 8 pistons were exactly the same weight. They were a whopping 758grams each(with pin). The other piston was only two grams off at 756grams(was jumping between that and 757, but it finally decided on 756). All in all I say these are excellent quality pistons for the price. Nice and heavy duty. I dont picture them getting damaged very easy. Sure there are lots of lighter ones...but I would prefer a little weight. And for the price difference, I can live with it. The weight helps to make for a nice solid piston anyhow which I think will be helpful for those big shots of nitrous.

I highly recommend them for anyone that needs an affordable set of forged pistons and would but them again in a second. Hope this helps someone trying to make a decision one day.

Ai

Did they have to ship those things truck freight?

N2OpwrdTA

LOL...NO. As as matter of fact it cam via USPS mail, but thanks for the smart *** comment

I like them and for the price woudnt swap them with any others. I got a friend that has been running them for 2yrs in a 355/heads/cam/compucar 250shot LT1, problem free...for now.

dnz28

where were you when i posted early man that gives me a little piece of mind now.

N2OpwrdTA

i directed you up here on your post. we were probably posting at the same time or something, lol.

Fastbird93

My only question is looking at the weight of those and comparing them to the weight of the others listed, how do they stack up???

N2OpwrdTA

Well...these are without a doubt, some very heavy duty pistons. Probably the heavier of all the pistons. Not light by any means of the word. SpeedPro does have a Light weight version for about 100 more than standard forged pistons...but it seems the only thing lightweight about them is the Pin that comes with that set. I am currently swapping my cam choice again so I have not gotten any real hardcore running time to see how they "stack up" to the torture test I put things through, lol. By the looks/feel of them, I dont picture these being very wimpy. Might give up a few ponys initially(due to extra weight)...but its worth it to be able to run lots of nitrous worry free.


IMO....If you got $600 to spend on pistons, then I would buy ROSS, JE in a second...just because they are flat out a better quality piston. But for the huge money difference between them, I will take the speedpros any day. If you subject the piston to the wrong conditions...its going to break no matter if its a JE or a SpeedPro piston. Well worth the money IMO.

dkeers

I went with the Speed Pro pistons in my new motor. I am going to be spraying a 200 shot or bigger on them (I have seen a 200 shot on stock pistons so I think these can handle it). I believe you when you say that the JE or Ross pistons are better, but what is it that is better? Does Speed Pro use an inferior material, or forging technique? Or is the main difference the weight? I'm sure someone knows why theses pistons are worth twice as much. For me, the price couldn't be beat for the Speed Pro's so I tried them, and hopefully they work out.

Dustin

N2OpwrdTA

Yeah...maybe somebody else knows that answer to why those others cost $600+. Most of the people(from the searches I read) only seem to talk about the weight difference. They might each use a differnt type of forged aluminum...but when it comes down to it, its still aluminum. JE and/or ROSS maybe Wiseco advertise polished tops...well, anybody can polish the top of needed. Maybe they charge the extra $400 for polishing fees

From what I have read, and seen my buddy car take...I would say speedpro are just as good as any. FWIW, the same guy who has been running the speedpro h/c/250shot for 2 years, used to run Wiseco pistons...till he destroyed 2 of them with an accidental lean condition one day(only took that one time to destroy two pistons). I know lean will kill anything, but if thats the case...then why pay $600 to destroy the pistons?

Im sure someone is going to say...the JE/ROSS/WISECO, are CNC machined, exact weights, blah, blah...well so are the speedpro and about any forged piston you buy. I think JE, ROSS etc are nothing more than hardcore advertisers so they have to charge more for their pistons to cover the advertising fees, lol...Who Knows! For the price of some of those pistons, they should drive/fix the damn car for you.

jimlab

Maybe the fact that my JEs weigh about 350 grams less than your Speed Pros has something to do with the higher price. Then again, my 6.0" rods weigh about 250 grams less than your pistons...

http://www.rx7club.com/forum/attachm...postid=2206713

Whose engine will rev faster and be easier on the bearings?

dkeers

Everyone knows about the weight. Is that the only difference? I want to know if there is a difference in material quality and manufacturing procedure. I have absolutely nothing against the more expensive pistons, I just didn't buy them because they are out of my budget. (I am only 20 and a full time college student, part time job. Money is hard to come by and most of it gets spent on school). I will probably use the more "name brand" pistons later when I can afford them.

It seems like everyone who paid for expensive pistons get defensive when someone mentions speed pros. I'm sure that JE's and Ross' are right for some motors/budgets, just not mine.

Dustin

N2OpwrdTA

LOL....HaHaHaHa! I knew sooner or later one of the expenseive piston guys would put in there $.02 BTW...in case you missed it within the first 10 posts...the weight issue has been pointed out many times already

As for faster spinning engine, etc...yeah, and engine with less weight will rev faster. But when Im going to be spraying 200-300shot of nitrous(getting bigger kit), I dont think it really matters. I would rather the solid heavy piston in this case. I am by no means poor and could easily have bough ROSS, JE, etc...but Ive see poof of the SpeedPros, being excellent performers in my friends car and for the price its more than an excellent piston. That saved $400 can buy me an OZ of super good bud

I bought a set, and they too are damn near perfect in every way...they might be a little on the fatty side, but thats fine with me. Im not a strictly drag racer anyhow, so I dont care about saving every pound or that hundreth of rpm rev extra per second Ill save. Also, the lighter the piston...the ****ter it is for street/daily use. Thats basically all my car sees(2-3k miles a year). Take it as you want, the SpeedPro Powerforged piston is damn good for the money. From what Ive read, all the forged pistons are cut with CNC controlled machines...makeing them all pretty exact. Basically paying for the name unless someone can prove that they are made of a superior(i dont mean slightly better, for 300-400 more it should be awesome ****) metal compared to speedpro. I have had enough with this post. Later.

jimlab

Well, I figured I'd mention some specific weights just to see if I could break through your wall of denial.

I don't think the weight is something to be particularly proud of, personally, but you're more than welcome to your opinion. If you're happy because you saved a buck or two, and that outweighs (ha, get it?) the weight issue for you, that's great. However, I wouldn't start badmouthing the more expensive pistons before you know more about what alloy was used for your slugs, how much they'll expand in the bore, how loose your tolerances have to be because of that, and so on. You usually get what you pay for, and as with anything engine related, the super light stuff costs more, but it's also usually made from higher quality materials.

As you said, you're not looking for every last bit of performance, but I wouldn't assume you got a JE-quality piston for a budget price just because the variance between the weights of your pistons was exceptionally good. I sincerely doubt that Speed Pro managed to corner the market on top quality forged pistons with bargain basement pricing and that JE and others are just charging for their name...

N2OpwrdTA

"I sincerely doubt that Speed Pro managed to corner the market on top quality forged pistons with bargain basement pricing and that JE and others are just charging for their name..."

Now...That is Denial, LOL!


"Speed-Pro POWERFORGED Pistons set the standard by which pistons are compared. The power forging process forms our unique VMS 75 alloy into shape using 3,000 tons of force. These pistons are reliable enough for daily street duty, yet strong enough to take the punishment of racing. CNC machined skirt profiles work with the high silicon alloy to deliver excellent durability and scuff resistance. Precision-formed ring grooves provide optimal compression sealing and oil control.

Speed-Pro POWERFORGED pistons are available in a variety of configurations ranging from reverse dome and blower styles to high compression domed heads. Run with the winners of countless races every week – Run Speed-Pro.
VMS-75 Alloy OR VMS-95 aerospace 2618 alloy for the ultimate in high temperature strength(depending on LW version or not)
“Near net shape” forging
Formed under 3,000 tons of pressure
Excellent strength and durability under severe conditions
Any application from daily usage to competitive racing
Approved and accepted as the “standard” in many forms of racing
The best value in a genuine forged piston
"
"
Special Aluminum Alloy that doesnt expand as much as othe r alloys...speedpros forged pistons are designed to fit tight, providing stabiltiy, ring control, you need plus the strength you want
"

Thats from the the federal mogul website. Also from what I have read/heard...the SpeedPro pistons use an alloy(mentioned above) that allows for much tighter tolerances than most other forged pistons becasue it doesnt expand as much. That in turn results in a quieter "cold" running engine, less knock, blowby possibilities, etc. I believe the pistons they were being compared to was a set of ROSS pistons...some food for though.


Now, I guess the question is...what is so special about your pistons?? What alloy are they made of?? What type of tolerances are needed for yours??

When it comes down to it...who gives a ****. As long as they perform/hold up to what you subject them too. You pay and run what you want, and Ill do the same.

I just said that the speedpros are damn good for the price. This post was intended to put in some good words for speedpro products, since when I did a search there wasnt much info on them. Im done bitching back and forth...to everyone their own.
Also...FWIW, the forged piston I and most people get from speedpro is the OEM replacement forged piston. They do sell a light weight "race"version of most of there pistons for about $394/8vs $225/8 for mine. Now compare those to the big name pistons...they are down to i believe under 600grams and still a few hundred less than the others. More food for thought!

jimlab

Here's even more "food for thought", since you seem to like the phrase so much...

http://home.gci.net/~jimlab/images/Pistons/PB140037.jpg

I paid $845 for my custom JEs, uncoated. They were all precisely 4.037" in diameter, within 0.5 grams across the board, required no modification whatsoever prior to dry film lubricant and ceramic heat barrier coating, and were made for a 4.040" bore, with 0.0035" clearance.

Obviously tolerances were excellent, but that's not the sole justification for the price tag. I may have paid $600+ more for my pistons than you did, and tolerances were great for both, but that doesn't necessarily mean that you got a better deal and I just paid for a brand name either. It means that I paid for pistons made especially for my engine, and they're much lighter than yours. Maybe there's a mark-up for the JE brand name, maybe not, but at about 6 lbs. lighter for the set, that's a big difference, and I was willing to pay for it. As with many engine components, the lighter the part, the higher the cost. You don't even want to know what my 36 lb. Crower 3.875" billet crankshaft cost.

Does everyone need to focus on weight to the extent that I did? Of course not, and I'll be the first to admit that I went more than a bit overboard. But it's also unreasonable to assume that everyone will be impressed by the production variances of your Speed Pros to the point that they'll ignore their considerable weight. You may not have paid much, but that's why they're heavy, in my opinion. The money you saved was probably the result of a simpler CNC program, with design cost greatly amortized by creating a piston that works in a large number of applications. Less design time and less machining usually means a cheaper part, and there's some food for thought.

BTW, I'm trying to keep this light. If you're offended by anything I've said, I apologize. I'm really not trying to put your pistons down, and I'm happy that you're happy with them, for whatever reasons you choose. That's all that really matters, isn't it? However, I am trying to explain that you haven't provided adequate evidence, in my opinion, for your case that JE and Ross pistons are simply more expensive because of their name, or that close tolerances were the only other possible justification for their relatively high cost.