Forged Pistons

Chevy 250 block and pistons

Just above dead center, observe “60” on the piston face

Rebuilding a motor is no easy task. A lot of components need to be stripped, cleaned, and put back together with very strict tolerances. The most important part of the engine rebuild is the pistons. That title is earned due to the replacement cost and need for precision. The crank and camshaft are close seconds, but the cost to replace those parts just isn’t near that of custom pistons.

Speaking of costs, a turbocharged motor more or less requires forged pistons. Since it’s 2016 and these Inline 6’s maintain a solid reputation, custom forged pistons exist, but at a premium. A set of custom forged pistons from Ross Racing cost approximately $700US. That’s not saying they are the most expensive pistons ever made, but going into an underpowered, and mostly undesired Inline 6 makes them seem pricey.

Ross pistons well packaged with all components

Ross Racing forged piston 0.070” over bore with 12CC dish

Before we get too far ahead, let’s back up. Turbo Camaro’s old pistons read “60” on the face. The machine shop determined that the cylinder walls were plenty thick but would require a 0.070” over-bore. The advantage to 0.070” over-bore pistons is that if the block ever goes, these pistons will likely work in any salvageable 250 block, as it’s rare for them to have been bored past .060” already.

The required pistons were ordered through Tom Lowe at 12bolt.com. The bore and desired 9:1 compression ratio were specified, and approximately 4 weeks later, the pistons arrived. The kit included new rings, wrist pins, spirolock clips, and all required documentation.

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