Pistons
Pistons - Small and extremely important for your engine
As motorsport professionals, we talk about pistons all the time. That's because the piston is an extremely important component for any engine.
Especially when it comes to performance enhancement, we depend on the quality of these capped hollow cylinders. Here, this relatively small component has to withstand a lot. What pistons are for, how they work and what makes them so important for tuning, you can find here.
Pistons in combustion engines: These are the differences
Pistons for diesel engines
Diesel pistons have a harder life: the thermal load is much higher here than in gasoline engines. That’s why the piston rings and the piston ring groove are reinforced. This can be done, for example, by using brass bushings in the pin bore. In addition, the piston crown in diesel engines is often sprayed with oil for cooling. A surrounding oil channel is also often used.
Pistons for gasoline engines
Pistons for gasoline engines can have a significantly thinner wall thickness to enable higher engine speeds. In the crown you will also find pockets that accommodate the valves in the combustion chamber. The piston skirt is usually coated to glide more easily through the cylinder.
Piston tuning – how can you increase performance with pistons?
Pistons play an important role in tuning, as they are the heart of your engine. Here, the piston skirt is primarily optimized: the wider it is, the better it can handle the enormous thrust forces. At the same time, high-quality alloys and high-strength material ensure that the tuning pistons are also very light and stable. The piston rings are also optimized for performance increase: the compression ring is made of gas-nitrided steel and the oil scraper ring is hook-shaped and elastic. This combination is unbeatable because it improves key tuning factors: oil control, ring tension, friction, adaptation, and sealing.
