Anyone use Chevy Pistons?

6

68Chevelle

Member
I have seen rods for sale in Snyders so that you can use the Chevy 283 pistons in the model A engine. Are there any real benefit or major reasons to using them over stock type pistons? Has anyone personally used chevy pistons in their A engine? Comparing the two side by side and it seems that the 283 piston is more heavy than that of the A.

This may be a stupid question but I can not find any info on this subject on the web...

Thanks,
Thomas
 
I built an engine last year for jcroson and his brother with the 283 pistons and inserts. From all I hear the engine runs the best it ever did. I do know when the engine was assembled it felt better when rotated, more like a modern engine. I attribute this to the rings having less cylinder wall pressure.
 
I put them in a couple of engines. They are cam ground strong and work good in the A engine. Model A piston are round not cam ground so you have to leave them with more clearance than the 283 pistons. Plus the 283 piston takes a narrow ring which seals better than the A rings. Pets auto-machine sells the 283 pistons that will work with the A rods. Right wrist pin location and size.
 
George Miller said:
I put them in a couple of engines. They are cam ground strong and work good in the A engine. Model A piston are round not cam ground so you have to leave them with more clearance than the 283 pistons. Plus the 283 piston takes a narrow ring which seals better than the A rings. Pets auto-machine sells the 283 pistons that will work with the A rods. Right wrist pin location and size.
Click to expand...

Henry would have a fit!

Using a Chevy piston in a Model A is like having a pig's heart valve in your grandma. You'll wonder about her every time she grunts.:D
 
George Miller said:
I put them in a couple of engines. They are cam ground strong and work good in the A engine. Model A piston are round not cam ground so you have to leave them with more clearance than the 283 pistons. Plus the 283 piston takes a narrow ring which seals better than the A rings. Pets auto-machine sells the 283 pistons that will work with the A rods. Right wrist pin location and size.
Click to expand...


Where is Pet's Auto-Machine located, address, web,e-mail addresses ???
 
A pistons are cam ground too. I used a set of 283 pistons in my Riley a few years back. I made steel bushings and honed them to the same size as Chevy rods, and pressed in the pins like Chevy and a lot of others do now. They worked fine, rings are better than A, etc.
 
p.s. I use 1955 Olds pistons a lot, a slight honing of them allows the use of A pins. They also use thinner rings than A's do. They may be a little more difficult to come by than Chevy?
 
ivoryjohn said:
Henry would have a fit!

Using a Chevy piston in a Model A is like having a pig's heart valve in your grandma. You'll wonder about her every time she grunts.:D
Click to expand...

Actually my mother has a pig valve and it has lasted long past the warranty period, so I only wonder about her when she doesn't grunt. :eek:

Hell, I'm 70 and I grunt pretty much anytime I have to get up, and I'm still using OEM valves. :D
 
Wow, great info everyone. I guess the main reason I ask is because the pistons that are in my A engine are all the same "type/brand" except for one and it looks to be a bit more heavy than the other three. The engine is 30 over and there are 8 flat top 30 over 283 pistons in my garage and if my engine did need to be bored 60 over I can get the chevy pistons cheaper than I could the A's...

Thanks for all the input and links,
Thomas
 
ivoryjohn said:
Henry would have a fit!

Using a Chevy piston in a Model A is like having a pig's heart valve in your grandma. You'll wonder about her every time she grunts.:D
Click to expand...


In reality I think Henry would have a fit over everyone on this website.

Didn't henry say something along the lines of history is bunk and Progress is all that matters?

:p
 
I have used them in all of the "performance" engines I have assembled. The rings for the 283 are narrower than the "A" style pistons. The claim is that they seal better. Due to the fact that the pin height is different, the use of special rods is necessary. I use Antique Engine Rebuilding inserted bearing rods and Silv-o-lite 283 pistons.
I have 283 pistons in my Phaeton and have over 50,000 miles on them with no issues.
Dave
www.durableperformance.net
 
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Silvolite manufactures pistons for a wide variety of engines. In the same vein ole Henry farmed out much of his coach work to Briggs and Murray. Do Model A purists nit pick because a set of Egge's jiggle up and down inside their Banger? As the British playwright would say: "Much Ado About Nothing".
 
68Chevelle said:
Wow, great info everyone. I guess the main reason I ask is because the pistons that are in my A engine are all the same "type/brand" except for one and it looks to be a bit more heavy than the other three. The engine is 30 over and there are 8 flat top 30 over 283 pistons in my garage and if my engine did need to be bored 60 over I can get the chevy pistons cheaper than I could the A's...

Thanks for all the input and links,
Thomas
Click to expand...

The piston pin height on the stock chev pistons is different then the model A. by about .200 plus or mins some. So for stock chev pistons you will need special rods. The piston I talked about are made for the A.
 
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