Wiseco Forged Pistons, 4.280" Bore Size

For BBC 454 Engines - 6.135 Bushed or Press Fit Rods, H-Beam or I-Beam and a 4.0" Stroke Crank.

We have built approximately 15,000 engines using Wiseco pistons over the past 10 years. The engines have been for street rod and strip use, and we have seen no problems or complaints. They are an excellent product in every respect.

These pistons are for use with full floating bushed rods or press fit.

Our custom-made Wiseco pistons are highly regarded in the street/strip performance industry. Wiseco typically offers several grades of pistons, starting with the lower-grade Pro-Tru Street version made with 4032 forged alloy. The next level up is the professional series, which is more expensive and made from 2618 aircraft alloy with fully machined crowns rather than the as-cast crowns found on the Pro-Tru series. Our Wiseco pistons are custom-made for us and feature both premium elements: 2618 alloy and fully machined crowns. All premium-grade forged pistons on the market have these two unique features and usually cost around $800-$1100 per set.

These pistons are suitable for use with mid-level nitrous or blower setups. Extreme level builds that are making HP numbers in the 1000 HP range will require a set of custom-made extreme duty pistons.

Our custom-made Wiseco pistons have a compression height that is .010 taller than nearly all catalog pistons on the market. We find this to be a very valuable feature. Since our pistons sit at a taller-than-normal compression height, you'll only have to remove approximately .005-.010 off the deck surface of a virgin block to achieve a zero deck. This also allows for future deck resurfacing without ending too far below stock deck height.

Leaving the deck on your block thick makes for a stronger block that resists flexing and also runs cooler, as deck thickness significantly influences heat dissipation. Blocks with decks cut down significantly are more prone to cracking. This is why our pistons are designed to sit flush (zero deck) at .010 below stock deck height.

Nearly all BBC catalog pistons on the market sit .020 below the surface of a virgin block. The only way to achieve a zero deck using such pistons would be to cut .020 off the deck surface, compromising the integrity of the block. If you leave the block deck higher, using such pistons creates a poor quench/squish zone. The only way to take full advantage of a catalog piston is by having a block that needs to, or has already been, cut down to 9.780 deck height. Having the piston sit flush with the deck is very desirable, even if your overall compression ratio is slightly higher than if it were sitting below the deck.

We find that 95% of our customers are using a virgin block or one close to stock deck height. This is why we have designed our pistons with a taller compression height. On rare occasions, you may end up with a block where the piston is out of the hole by a few thousandths, which is not a problem. Most head gaskets are approximately .040 thick, so if you end up with a quench zone of .035, that is acceptable. If the quench zone ends up below .035, there are plenty of .050 thick head gaskets on the market. One more benefit is that most machine shops charge much more to deck a block down from stock deck height to 9.780 than they would for a light cleanup, which is all that's needed when using our Wiseco pistons.

Another advantage of our pistons having a taller compression height is that the ring land above the top ring is stronger, being .010 thicker. When pistons encounter the effects of detonation, it's not uncommon to see pistons with the ring land above the top ring broken off. The thicker ring land also makes a better heat sink.

You may have noticed that our Wiseco custom-made forged pistons are referred to as "Racing Pistons" on the package. This does not mean that the pistons are for racing only; this is a generic term referring to their ability to be used in high-performance applications as well as for street rod use. These pistons are perfectly designed for street use, as well as medium to upper-level drag racing.

Our custom-made Wiseco forged pistons are made from 2618 aircraft alloy. We find this alloy to be much more suitable for high-performance engines than the common 4032 forged alloy. You will usually see the higher-end pistons on the market using 2618 aircraft alloy.

Why go with 2618 forged pistons? If you encounter tuning issues, detonation is highly probable, and its effects can cause severe damage to your engine. The 2618 forged piston can withstand the damaging effects of detonation to a higher degree than the lower-cost 4032 forged pistons, especially non-forged hypereutectic pistons such as Speed Pro or Keith Black, and many others.

Our Wiseco forged pistons will clear most valve sizes on the market with ease, even with large lift cams.

Wiseco fully forged pistons rated at 700+ HP. This sale is for a full set of pistons. Wiseco pistons are 100% manufactured in the USA and are one of the highest-rated pistons in the country.

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