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ScienceofSpeed Forged Pistons: low, stock, and high compression for 3.0L and 3.2L

Joined
19 January 2001
Messages
8,241
Location
Chandler, AZ
pistonset_800.jpg


ScienceofSpeed Forged Piston Set:
http://www.scienceofspeed.com/products/engine_performance_products/NSX/ScienceofSpeed/pistons/

Have you been considering rebuilding your engine for forced induction (turbochargered or supercharged) use?

We have been building NSX engines for 6 years now, and have completed over 50 units and have sold nearly 120 sets of pistons for the NSX. We use these same pistons in our custom engine programs:
http://www.scienceofspeed.com/products/engine_performance_products/NSX/engine_services.asp

Over these years, we have worked in conjunction with manufactures to develop the optimal design, metalurgy, and coatings to achieve a piston that has the best characteristics of durability, weight, noise, growth, resulting oil consumption, and price of any forged piston available for the NSX. Piston design is something we've taken a special interest and pride in here at ScienceofSpeed to achieve a piston that is not only highly durable, but also is easy to live with on an oil consumption and noise basis. In all of the designs of ours and other manufactures, these have been the best we have ever used.

As you may know, the factory pistons are a cast hypereutectic type produced from pouring a molten mix of aluminum and silicon into a mold. This is a cost effective way to manufacture pistons that results in a product that is completely acceptable on a strength basis for a factory engine and has certain advantages - such as low growth rates - which positively effect oil consumption and noise.

Forged pistons have distinct advantages to the factory cast pistons - namely in how ductile the material. The denser less porous material allows the piston to withstand greather heat and pressure from performance applications increasing strength against detonation. Forged piston metalurgy is generally a trade off in silicon content. Increased silicon makes the alloy harder and decreases growth rate however, the trade off being increased brittleness. After experimenting with different aluminum alloys in both naturally aspirated and forced induction gasoline and alcohol blend engines, we have found an alloy that works best.

Once the metalurgy is considered, an equally important aspect is of the piston design. Our pistons are manufactured using NSX-specific forgings. The forging used for the pistons described here is a strutted design which allows a high strength design with minimized weight. Being NSX-specific, weight reducing pockets (our pistons shed up to 28 grams compared to the stock piston) where material is not needed could be incorporated into the forging with out requiring additional machining. ScienceofSpeed has further refined the piston design by incorporating several features normally charged extra for by other manufactures. These are features such as brushed top crowns, contact reduction grooves, an accumulator groove, bin boss offseting for the front and rear cylinder banks, radial oil ring lubrication holes, and easy to install use pin locks. Our piston skirts are coated with a proprietary molybdenum-graphite coating which increases lubricity and reduces scuffing. In addition, like all aftermarket forged pistons, our design uses a floating 22mm mounting pin requiring the factory connecting rod to be bushed to accept the 22mm pin.

We have worked hard to incorporate the costs of the forgings and development into enough sets so that you will find our pricing is very reasonable.

Compare these manufacture's pricing (complete piston set with rings, pins, locks, and skirt coating):
JE Pistons: $968.00
ScienceofSpeed: $1,070.00 ($920.00 + $150.00 coating)
CP Pistons: $1120.00
Mahle MotorSports: $2600.00
Toda Racing: $3000.00

We offer two common piston sizes:
90.5mm - for use in all 3.0L engines
93mm - for use in sleeved 3.0L or 3.2L engines

Our most common compression ratios are:
9.2:1 (supercharged/turbocharged - 500+ hp)
9.5:1 (supercharged/turbocharged 400-500 hp)
stock compression
11.5:1 (natural aspiration use)

We produce pistons for both the stock stroke and our 3.5L 86mm stroked crankshaft and rods.

However, we can manufacture a piston in any size and any compression you prefer. We can customize the piston by any number of variables including calculating specific dynamic compression for your specific engine.

regards,
-- Chris

low compression 90.5mm piston:
piston_905mm-lowcompression.jpg


high compression 90.5mm piston:
piston_905mm-highcomp_450.jpg
 
Chris,

Is there any reason the 11.5:1 NA pistons couldn't be used with the factory rods?

Also, out of curiousity, what sort of results have you seen on an NA C30 going from 10.2:1 to the 11.5:1?

Very interested when I purchase NSX #3.

Thanks,

-Daniel
 
hi Daniel --

All of our pistons (with the exception of the stroker pistons) are designed to work with the factory rods. As with all aftermarket pistons, the factory rods will need to be bushed to accept the 22mm floating pin (a service we offer).

A C30 with an enlarged bore and a good exhaust / intake system will typically produce 340-350 bhp (about 70-80 hp increase over a bone stock NSX).

regards,
-- Chris
 
hi Daniel --

All of our pistons (with the exception of the stroker pistons) are designed to work with the factory rods. As with all aftermarket pistons, the factory rods will need to be bushed to accept the 22mm floating pin (a service we offer).

A C30 with an enlarged bore and a good exhaust / intake system will typically produce 340-350 bhp (about 70-80 hp increase over a bone stock NSX).

regards,
-- Chris

Thanks, Chris. I just realized some of this was answered at the end of your post.

Final question: I believe the stock bore is 90mm, so at 90.5mm displacement becomes 3010cc correct? So minor increase in displacement from the small overbore.
 
Thanks, Chris. I just realized some of this was answered at the end of your post.

Final question: I believe the stock bore is 90mm, so at 90.5mm displacement becomes 3010cc correct? So minor increase in displacement from the small overbore.

That is correct. The 90.5mm size must be used as the blocks ovalize with use at the thrust points. The 90.5mm will bring the bore back to regular circle.

cheers,
-- Chris
 
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