Cracked Pistons

Well got the motor tore down and all of the pistons are cracked with # 6 being the worst. I'm now looking for the best rebuild kit with slugs, rings and gaskets?:mad

Sorry bud.

What happend?
-Matt

:eek: Yeah, what happend Phone?

From what I undstand about our engines is that they most likely will have cracks from heat. I thought that everybody that tears their engine down has some sort of little cracks in their pistons?? I could be wrong though. Good luck on the rebuild! Have you looked into a Mahle rebuild kit?

You're best defense against the pistons cracking is to put a radius on the sharp edge where the combustion chamber comes up to the top of the piston. Ceramic coating is also a good idea but is a little expensive.

As long as the cracks are not to big it's not really too big of a deal. The worst place to have them crack is in the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock possitions. This lines up with the pin bore and gives a possibility for failure. High egt's cause more/worse cracking on the top of the pistons. I wouldn't be surprised if an unmodded PSD has cracks on the pistons due to the sharp edge of the combusion chamber.

i got my rebuild kit at www.powerstrokeshop.com for 975 + shipping, not sure if that is currently the price or not.

I was going to take the heads off and have new injector cups put in and do the valves thats when i discovered the cracks. I noticed most were cracked at the 12 o'clock position and number 6 had a 1/4" or better crack at the 9 o'clock position:eek: like race hauler was talking about. Judging by how the crack is starting to open up it would have been just a matter of time before it broke. I'm going to rebuild it and just be done with it. The motor's got a 177,000 on it so freshin it up can't hurt.


Luke did the kit from powerstroke shop have mahle's with it?

Think thats bad I had to pull my motor because of a split block it split from one pan rail to the cam tunnel to the other pan rail, other than that my stock 97 motor ran real sweet. When we autopsied the thing it had cracked pistons one has some bad cracks at 9 an 3 that was the worst piston all the others where minor. I got a new block it should go .020 I am getting a rebuild kit from powerstroke parts .com I PMed they guy there and he assured me the pistons were MAHLEs so all is good. I might get the sharp edge cut down to see if that helps the cracking issue. Other than this issue its on like DK I will put it back and finish what I started.

All these recent threads about cracked pistons and rodded blocks has me a little nervous, maybe we need to be nicer to our ladies? :doh: :D

Dave

All these recent threads about cracked pistons and rodded blocks has me a little nervous, maybe we need to be nicer to our ladies? :doh: :D

Dave

..... Naaah :tree:


Im runnin mine into the ground, then ill fix er up and do it again :ford:

-Matt

..... Naaah :tree:


Im runnin mine into the ground, then ill fix er up and do it again :ford:

-Matt

Sounds like a good plan. No need to fix unless it broke right???;)