[Jason_R]

I have never bought pistons before, im buying them (hopefully) for a 455 olds. that me and dear ol dad is building im looking at a Parts Automotive Warehouse book, they have speedmaster pistons for the motor there flat top's for $588.00, is that a good, fair, or high price?


Thanks for any and all help


-Jason R

[Jmark]

OUCH!! That sounds real steep for a set of pistons. Check around at different local shops for prices. You can get carried away buying pistons if you aren't careful. What you are doing with the engine will dictate what kind of pistons you need. Ck Ebay too, lots of good deals there.

Lots on Ebay right now, and lots cheaper.

[87442lover]

$588.00!!! That is really expensive! Unless those pistons are made from sold gold so I display them, that is way too expensive. A set of forged pistons should'nt cost anywhere over $300.00 for an olds 455.

[trrho1974]

I am not an expert like other guys. But that sounds too much for me.

[richard stewart 3rd]

Hi,
$588. Are these from mondello? they have some kind of "special" piston set around that price.
Go to summit or e-bay for Keith Black, TRW, probe, Speed pro check locally you may find a good deal there.
Rich

[techinspector1]

Originally Posted by Jason_R

I have never bought pistons before, im buying them (hopefully) for a 455 olds. that me and dear ol dad is building im looking at a Parts Automotive Warehouse book, they have speedmaster pistons for the motor there flat top's for $588.00, is that a good, fair, or high price?
Thanks for any and all help
-Jason R

There are a couple of things to consider when buying pistons.
1. Is the compression height the same as OEM or is it shorter, resulting in less squish if I don't deck the block?
2. Is the crown configured for a good squish to help quell detonation?
3. Is the piston a cheap cast unit, or is it a better quality such as hypereutectic or forged?

Here is the piston I would buy for such a 455 rebuild. They come in all oversizes, I just happened to choose the description for a +0.030" unit. There is a generous flat pad on the crown to facilitate squish and the compression height is stock at 1.750".
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/UEM-KB132-030/

Here is an example of a piston that I wouldn't use in this motor. You can see that there is insufficient pad on the crown (in my opinion) to facilitate a good squish and the compression height is 0.015" shorter than stock.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/TRW-L2323F30/