Piston recommendations
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Intermediate
Joined: Sep 2022
Posts: 35
Likes: 30
From: pa
Piston recommendations
Hello folks. My son in law and I are building a 72 FLH shovel head. We are currently working on the motor. It was previously bore .020 over. We’ve decided to take it to.030 instead since we are already going to replace the pistons with new ones. So my question to you guys is which pistons do you guys recommend? Cast, forged and hyper styled pistons. Also which vender should we get them from. Thanks
Road Captain
Joined: Jul 2021
Posts: 605
Likes: 441
From: BRIGHTON, ENGLAND
depends what ya want out of it,
if you want an understressed easy start plodder that will out live you, fit 7'5:1 low comp pistons,
but if ya want a bit of get up n go I'd go for WISECO 9'5:1 hi comp but not so much as to hurt the motor in anyway,....or stock Harley pistons with the correct oversize ...
if you want an understressed easy start plodder that will out live you, fit 7'5:1 low comp pistons,
but if ya want a bit of get up n go I'd go for WISECO 9'5:1 hi comp but not so much as to hurt the motor in anyway,....or stock Harley pistons with the correct oversize ...
Novice
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 21
Likes: 7
The best pistons I have ever had in my 1978 74ci, are Keith Black 8.5cr #263. I have put right at 50,000 miles on these, the three sets of stock pistons or the one set of Wiseco didn't come close to the kind of mileage. But that is just my personal experience over the last 45 years.
Tourer
Joined: Jun 2021
Posts: 256
Likes: 86
From: CA
Forged Wisco pistons are ok for short term racing engines until they loose contol in the ring lands, then they require replacement in order to maintain performance.
A stock cast piston will have a longer life if not stressed into a performance situation.
A stock cast piston will have a longer life if not stressed into a performance situation.
Cruiser
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 224
Likes: 118
From: Kentucky
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 12,878
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From: la la land jerzey
Pistons we use in the shop have been cast 40 years and today with the **** gas in this country we use the low compression 7 to 1 but use a moly top ring set in Hastings rings — the best cast piston in JCC but they dont sell any cast with that being an identifier
having said that any cast piston with do we have been setting the piston to wall at .003 for 25 years - yea the book said when ever but they wrote the book when leaded gas was available at the pump - that i not today
having said that any cast piston with do we have been setting the piston to wall at .003 for 25 years - yea the book said when ever but they wrote the book when leaded gas was available at the pump - that i not today
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