affordable 430 pistons

[Chris Craft crazy]

The point here is if the pistons that Badger make do not look like the Wiseco picture that was suddenly a point of controversy is that they are not correct. The MEL stepped piston has a step in a specific area. Compression only has a small part to do with it. The compression could be equal to the original stepped piston, and still not be right. I won't bother to reinterate all the information on combustion chamber theory on the MEL... it's already here on this site, which is where I learned it.

The other issue is contruction, and what you intend to do with the engine, although cast pistons are easily strong enough for most applications.

[Theo]

........ although cast pistons are easily strong enough for most applications.

What he said. Cast slugs can hold up to 5000 RPM and more.

[nasty55ford]

ill have this back together buy the end of the month i have to do some work on my frame were i changed the steering box blast it paint and then im gonna put the 430 back in. does anybody know the paint code or name for the gold merc valve covers doing some grafting of 54 lincoln y block valve covers with some 58s i have im going to do some more frakenstien stuff again. hey i might be mix matchin stuff around but at the end of the day it still works for me and i can afford to pay my bills and still have a little enjoyment with my vintage drag car also if anybody wants to know how to make a hydrostick or a 400 turbo clutch flight work with the mel let me know i had the b n m hydrostick in first then changed to a clutchflight then changed back to the hydrostick i maybe putting on a 671 supercharger if i can get away with 0-1 pound of boost it will work with my set up gonna make my own intake and the tunnel ram and bottom runners will be for sale if anyones inst

[nasty55ford]

why would you say that they wouldnt be right the mans be makin these things since the late 60s they will be the same you stay with you wiesco and ill stay with my badgers you dont have to have to go to the most expensive company with all the most expensive parts to get correct outstanding results for example back in 2001 i built a 1971 camaro drag car completly out of used second hand swap meet parts to resale i built a 400 small block turbo 400 trans 12 bolt rear end ect the man i sold it to didnt know anything at all abought mechanics or had never ever raced a drag car he went to drag strip in his primer gray camaro went up against a professional drag racer with a 69 chevelle with a 502 aluminum heads crome and pretty highdoller big block with evry high dollor top of the line part that could be bought and abought a 10,000 dollor candy orange paint job well needless to say they went at it with my piece of scensored i built he smoked the 69s ass ran i 9.15 quarter mile that i total proof that the lower priced parts can bee just as affective or better than the high dollor goodies this has been proven so untill we have the badgers professinaly tested and proven correct if not then you can make me eat crow

[Chris Craft crazy]

It's not about manufacturer, it is about the shape of the piston. The original Ford design is available to view here in several incarnations, and the subsequent engineering rationale is also here. The only advantage that Wiseco has is that they will custom forge and machine the size and shape of the piston for you.They charge a lot to do that. There are lots of other piston manufacturers that make good pistons. I wish someone would duplicate the original piston in a cast aluminum, but so far I have been unable to find one.

There is no question that the engine will work with other pistons, including flat tops, since most of the replacement pistons are flat top anyway. It is a matter of what gives you the best performance given the original engineering of the engine.

[Theo]

I wonder where the original molds are kept and who the OEM manufacturer was at that time. Fed Mogul, TRW, Badger, Silv O Lite? It would be helpful to find the company who holds the blueprints. Once you know it, a limited run could be an option as the most part of the expense which is the design process could be saved. I vagualy remember that the pistons had the oval FORD logo, but I could be wrong and I possible confuse it w. the rods.

[Chris Craft crazy]

Theo, my sets of original pistons have the Ford oval logo on them, and Ford also marketed oversize pistons as original FoMoCo parts... there are a left side set on Ebay right now... Sadly only half a set, .030's

Funny that one of the old piston makers don't still have their patterns for this piston... someone like Silvolite.

[Theo]

....... there are a left side set on Ebay right now... Sadly only half a set, .030's

BUY NOW!!! You might run into the other ones at a later time. Even single pistons are an interesting buy. You can't have enough spare parts, especially pistons.

...Funny that one of the old piston makers don't still have their patterns for this piston... someone like Silvolite.

Any cognitions about where the FOMOCO pistons for the MEL were delivered from? Possibly more than one manufacturer was in business w. FORD. I'M not too much inside, but one could find out which piston manufacturer had a major deal with FORD or at least find out what manufacturer was the biggest supplier in this era of time.

On the other hand custom made forged pistons could possibly be more affordable than a limited run of cast OEM pistons. It probably takes high production numbers to justify a reasonably prized piston. Unless you are a specialty dealer chasing for a limited run of cast pistons it is probably not very realistic. Just my guess.

[nasty55ford]

im thinkin abought sending a set i have to china land to procomp to have them make some forge factory replica pistons they have gotton pretty good stuff latley

[64Sedan]

I wouldn't buy pistons or anything for that matter from China when I can get parts from the USA. I don't care how much they cost. There is no comparison to made in the USA products. In my opinion you get what you pay for when it comes to high quality auto parts.