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buying used pistons?

11K views 8 replies 9 participants last post by  willys36@aol.com 
#1 ·
any opinions on buying used pistons? assuming you're replacing the rings, what are the drawbacks?
 
#3 ·
Don't forget that used piston's pin has been rocking and pounding the piston a biziallion times. What kind of a beating did those pistons get? Once you install the used pistons then you're stuck with them. If you are building a small block Chev then new pistons are so cheap that it's not cost effective and I'm the king of the cheap SOBs! I have installed a used set just one time and I must say they worked out well but they were forged and looked good. I think that you will have to go by what the seller says and take a good close look at them. Good luck
 
#4 ·
Bring your micrometer and inside mic set for inspection. Anything less than perfection and I would pass, used pistons are essentially worthless...keep that in mind.
 
#6 ·
I've used some used pistons, and as long as they pass a Zyglow (crack) test, and the skirts are in good shape, and they are dimensionally sound, IE pin bore, and skirt size they could be okay.
Some guys will sell used slugs because they freshened up their mill and had to go to the next bore size, while there was nothing really wrong with the pistons themselves.
Just be careful not to buy junk, especially on Ebay , ect, it's hard to tell from a picture, so know who you are dealing with.
 
#7 ·
i wouldnt do that. just buy new ones to be safe. i used to work at a sallvage yard and they used to have us do some messed up things to make a part look good enough to sell. that included shoving peices of sponge in the wrist pin so they they seemed tight. <img src="graemlins/pain.gif" border="0" alt="[pain]" />
 
#9 ·
If you are building a small block Chevy, they almost give new pistons away! Don't even consider used pistons on a common engine.

On the other hand, when I built my 354 hemi from a bored out 331 block, I couldn't find any new pistons so had to go with good used stock ones. I had Ernie Hashim (old time Hemi expert - first drag racer to go 180mph) make me a set. He found 8 good pistons from two original sets. Engine has 25,000 miles and is just getting warmed up!
 
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