choosing pistons

[furdfan2018]

I'm going to test that theory with my car. I have Mahle 2618's with a piston to wall clearance of .0036. I daily it about 20k miles a year.

Ive been looking more into this and from what I can see all mahle 12:1 pistons for the 5.0 appear to be 2618

https://www.us.mahle.com/en/motorsp...modular-powerpak-and-powerpak-piston-kits.jsp

https://www.modmaxracing.com/product-p/mah930258362.htm

I have 2618 "drop in" Mahle powerpak 12:1's in a brand new Gen 3 block, H Tuff rods, brand new coyote crank, arp hardware, stock Ford MLS head gaskets.

They are noisy form start-up until 10-15 minutes of driving. Think the infamous gen 3 "2k rattle" on steroids type of sound.

That said, they quiet down A LOT once warm, but you can still slightly hear them even at full temp. Just barely.

I have 6k miles on them right now and no issues whatsoever with the motor other than noise when cold.

Take it for what it's worth!

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[Andy13186]

I have 2618 "drop in" Mahle powerpak 12:1's in a brand new Gen 3 block, H Tuff rods, brand new coyote crank, arp hardware, stock Ford MLS head gaskets.

They are noisy form start-up until 10-15 minutes of driving. Think the infamous gen 3 "2k rattle" on steroids type of sound.

That said, they quiet down A LOT once warm, but you can still slightly hear them even at full temp. Just barely.

I have 6k miles on them right now and no issues whatsoever with the motor other than noise when cold.

Take it for what it's worth!

Have you tried ceratec? My Aluminator does have a 1k RPM rattle and 3k rpm rattle, but my stock gen 3 had the worst idle tapping ive ever heard and 2k rattle but ceratec fixed the idle tapping noise. Overall the gen 3 aluminator is quieter and also apparently has much less blow by and no oil consumption. Heres what my OEM gen 3 shortblock sounded like at idle without ceratec :

 

[silverbullet85]

Does anyone happen to know if there is a thickness difference between the gt500 headgasket and an oem gt one? I had my motor built by rpg and they recommended the gt500 ones, or the cometic but they were unavailable when I needed them so ended up buying oem 5.2 predator gaskets

 

[HKusp]

I have 2618 "drop in" Mahle powerpak 12:1's in a brand new Gen 3 block, H Tuff rods, brand new coyote crank, arp hardware, stock Ford MLS head gaskets.

They are noisy form start-up until 10-15 minutes of driving. Think the infamous gen 3 "2k rattle" on steroids type of sound.

That said, they quiet down A LOT once warm, but you can still slightly hear them even at full temp. Just barely.

I have 6k miles on them right now and no issues whatsoever with the motor other than noise when cold.

Take it for what it's worth!

What was your piston to wall clearance on the build?

 

[furdfan2018]

What was your piston to wall clearance on the build?

this is a great question. In my infinite wisdom of assuming Ford and Mahle had their tolerances in check, I just sent it. Dumb on my part, although it wouldn’t have mattered anyway, in that you cannot add material back to a coated bore.

I’ll say this…it uses absolutely 0 oil and runs like a skinned cat, just noisy when cold.

 

[HKusp]

My PTW clearance is pretty tight, I think we went with .038 IIRC. I am hoping it's not noisy, but I am running Corsa long tubes, catless, with an MBRP resonator and side exhaust. So even if it is noisy, I probably won't hear it anyway, lol.

Edit: I just looked it up, we went with .036 on the PTW clearance.

https://www.mustang6g.com/forums/th...e-installation-on-youtube.186202/post-3838096

 

[engineermike]

That’s about .033 bigger than it should be.

 

[Cory S]

That’s about .033 bigger than it should be.

That’s what she said.

 

[WildHorse]

Wiseco RED Series piston FTW.

 

[illtal]

Does anyone happen to know if there is a thickness difference between the gt500 headgasket and an oem gt one? I had my motor built by rpg and they recommended the gt500 ones, or the cometic but they were unavailable when I needed them so ended up buying oem 5.2 predator gaskets

.036 for predator.

 

[Optimum Performance]

My PTW clearance is pretty tight, I think we went with .038 IIRC. I am hoping it's not noisy, but I am running Corsa long tubes, catless, with an MBRP resonator and side exhaust. So even if it is noisy, I probably won't hear it anyway, lol.

Edit: I just looked it up, we went with .036 on the PTW clearance.

https://www.mustang6g.com/forums/th...e-installation-on-youtube.186202/post-3838096

0.0036" Decimals matter LOL Mahle runs much tighter clearances of 0.0020-33, Manley is 0.0030" for a coated skirt. Just curious why that was picked? Was it fear of scuffing?

In the future make the ring gap of the second ring larger than the the top ring and make the top oil rail ring at least as big if not slighter larger than the second ring. This prevents high rpm flutter and allows the oil that the second ring scrapes off to drain back through the piston. Bottom oil rail can be a standard 0.015 gap. I would probably run closer to .030 Top and .035 Second ring if this has any kind of power adder or sustained high rpm.

 

[Cory S]

0.0036" Decimals matter LOL Mahle runs much tighter clearances of 0.0020-33, Manley is 0.0030" for a coated skirt. Just curious why that was picked? Was it fear of scuffing?

In the future make the ring gap of the second ring larger than the the top ring and make the top oil rail ring at least as big if not slighter larger than the second ring. This prevents high rpm flutter and allows the oil that the second ring scrapes off to drain back through the piston. Bottom oil rail can be a standard 0.015 gap. I would probably run closer to .030 Top and .035 Second ring if this has any kind of power adder or sustained high rpm.

My Manley Gen 2 Platinum series 2618's are at .0045" PTW with offset wrist pins.
Top ring @ .026"
Second @ .025"
4400 miles and counting. Very pleased with the turnout.

 

[furdfan2018]

My PTW clearance is pretty tight, I think we went with .038 IIRC. I am hoping it's not noisy, but I am running Corsa long tubes, catless, with an MBRP resonator and side exhaust. So even if it is noisy, I probably won't hear it anyway, lol.

Edit: I just looked it up, we went with .036 on the PTW clearance.

https://www.mustang6g.com/forums/th...e-installation-on-youtube.186202/post-3838096

Guessing you mean .0038... That's actually pretty loose generally speaking. Within what a 2618 piston calls for, but loose (VERY loose) for a cast, factory piston.

Im running .0025" in a civic I just built and they are also a bit noisy when cold... even at .0025.

I think some of what we hear also depends on the block style. Its my opinion that the non-liner blocks (Gen 3+) are noisier than those prior coyote blocks with steel liners as the steel sleeve in gens 1 and 2 absorb some of the sounds coming from the vavletrain and pistons.

Who knows.

 

[HKusp]

Guessing you mean .0038... That's actually pretty loose generally speaking. Within what a 2618 piston calls for, but loose (VERY loose) for a cast, factory piston.

Im running .0025" in a civic I just built and they are also a bit noisy when cold... even at .0025.

I think some of what we hear also depends on the block style. Its my opinion that the non-liner blocks (Gen 3+) are noisier than those prior coyote blocks with steel liners.

Who knows.

Yes, as you can see in the above build sheet I linked to, it's .0036. I missed a decimal place as was pointed out by Tommy when he said decimals matter, and I certainly agree.

 

[furdfan2018]

My bad, I didn't even read the build sheet...ill go back and have a look.

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