Forged stroker pistons - recommendations?
The Wisecos come with plasma rings in the kit, don't they? Do you have the Pro Tru pistons in yours or another type? Do they have the friction coating on them?
They look like they could fit the bill and seem reasonably priced - which is why I asked about them.
I won't rag on the Diamonds, as I don't believe they are at fault: one thing I did notice when I pulled the heads is that one of the pistons had clear signs of detonation, while the heads showed no signs - and neither did any of the other seven pistons. While the chambers were not all even in volume (ranging from 61-63cc), the "dodgy" piston did not have an especially small chamber. I've since CCed all the chambers myself to 64cc.
Unfortunately, I had this engine built some time ago when I'd just arrived back in Australia and had no tools and nowhere to work on an engine, so I paid someone to do it and I've come to believe he may have used a second-hand set of pistons (which is why 7 out of 8 looked almost new when I pulled the heads, but one looked fairly beat-up).
I've done a lot of work to the car and engine since, and this will be the final rebuild for the foreseeable future. Apart from the machining, I'll be doing the work myself this time and simply want to do it right.
My #1 priority is streetability: I want a car I can jump in and drive anywhere on weekdays, and pull 11s all day on weekends when I go racing. That's the reason I went with the stroker and hydraulic roller cam in the first place. I'm really hoping the guy who built the engine didn't cut any more corners, but I guess I'll find out when I pull the bottom end apart . . .
Again, I appreciate all the info you guys are sharing. There are some good Mopar resources in Australia, but obviously they are not as popular here as Chevs and Fords, and nowhere near as popular as they are in the US. Cheers.