what kind of pistons should I use?

[szokejohn2]

blew my motor up a couple of weeks ago ,bought another block.Im just wondering if I should use the stock pistons or bore it out and buy forged pistons..........cost is of great concern.If I were a professional builder ,I would use the best of everything.Forged pistons,.30 over,new valves and springs,rocker rollers.But Im not in a position to spend lots of money.so Im thinking ,stock pistons ,hone out the block,valve job,steel rings,new lifters(stock),new timing chain....any advice would help,If anyone has used in the past, stock pistons and steel rings ,please let me know.Ill be starting to build next week.thanks in advance.

[riverbound]

What kind of motor do you have? What are you looking to get out of the motor? What kind of boat. I just got my motor back yesterday and realized that you dont always have to buy the best of the best to build a good motor. I actually ended up saving money having someone build it for me.

[szokejohn2]

Its a 21ft sleekcraft with a ford 460 engine,high rise manifold,high duration cam,over transom headers,real head turner,everybody asks about it when its in the water....bought the engine out of a junk yard,had the cylnders honed out ,the shop machinest told me that the cyliders were a little loose.Im just going to ski with it and maybe horse play,run it WOT for a short period of time, 30 seconds or so,but most of the time it will be at 4000 and 4500 rpm's..accationally 5000 rpm's

[460 jus getn it]

i also have a bbf 460. im using speed pro pistons. the part number is l2404f-30, they have a little dish. i figure my comp ratio to be around 9.67 to 1.

[riverbound]

I have a 460 my setup is trw forged pistons .030, Isky "jetboat" cam, weiand stealth manifold,750 holley D.P., stock heads, crank, rods, This seems to be the best setup for a normal lake use boat. It produces its peak torque and hp in the 4200-4900 range.

[HotHallet]

I also am running a 460-actually a 501 BBF now. .030 over with an Eagle Crankshaft and rods and SRP (JE) inverted dome 28cc pistons. I am running a Lunati camshaft with .560 lift and .235 duration and a Weiand tunnel ram with two 600 Holley 4150 double pumps. Edelbrock 75 CC aluminum cylinder heads with Lunati micro troll lifters, Comp Cams pushrods, and Lunati roller rockers. The motor made 533 hp at 5100 rpm's and 599 ft.lbs of torque at 4300 rpm's. The pump was prepped by Jack McClure at MPD and features a 12 JG with a droop snoot, shoe and rideplate, MPD loader, AB Cut Impeller and stage 1.5 blueprint. I had the bottom blueprinted by Jeff Bennet while the motor/pump/and interior were out. The boat is a 19 Hallett bubble deck and has run a best of 78 mph on gps with just me in it. If cash is an issue for your rebuild I would stick to stock and run it. That hull is too big and heavy to ever be pushed extremely fast unless you put loads of HP to it and do the pump to back it up! Just my 2 cents!

[waterslinger]

SRP has some good stuff.

[Beal Motorsports]

If a supercharger or nitrous in never going to be used, cast pistons are the best bang for your buck, but most of the time they are only available in near stock compression.
If low Psi Supercharger or a small shot of nitrius will be used (50hp) hyperutectic pictons are the best bet, but most are only available in the slightly higher ratio's such as 9 or 9.5 to 1.
If you really plan on putting the boost to it, forged is the best, and are available in any combo you wish but plan on $$$$.