Quality of JE piston 13.8:1

[onebad450r]

After waiting and waiting my piston finally arrived today. I tore the package open all excited. Needless to say that I am dissapointed in the quality of the piston.....Lots of casting flaws and looks like somebody did alot of grinding (rough) on the dome and on the valve relief pockets of the piston. Not to mention where it looks like they got a little sloppy and left the grinder go down the side of the piston where the top ring is...... Just wandering if anybody else got a JE piston jet??? How was the quality??? I am very dissapointed in Sparks Racing for sending out a product like this. By the way there is only one compression ring and one oil ring, that really did not bother me but I thought that I would share the info......I have delt with Sparks Racing in the past and have always gotten great pruducts or service. NOT TRING TO BASH SPARKS RACING AND I DON'T WANT TO START A FIRE HERE. Just wandering whats up?

[kazpr]

Please keep us updated!

[BSTURDIVANT]

We got the first pistons that JE did. They used the same forgings as the YFZ. Ours wouldn't fit the combustion chamber and we called JE to let them know before shelf stock pistons were run.
Some other engine builders probably got them also creating a hand fit situation. 13.8 to 1 pistons would be worse than ours.
JE called us and offered to re-machine the domes to fit, but it doesn't take much in a mill to get to work. Yhe piston you have was done by the engine builder that you got it from, probably by hand with a die grinder, hense the rough job!

JE's forgings are perfect as far as the machine work- was just done to a chamber casting that was opened up!

[29FTEX]

A friend of mine put his in Sunday. Judging by the picture he sent me of the piston, it was just as you descibed. Sparks told him that Curtis didn't like the way the piston was, so he milled on them HIMSELF. All of them personally. I talked to my friend today, and he is in the process of breaking it in, but he said that it felt awesome. What that really means, I don't know. He said keeping the front end down now is a lot worse than with the 13 tooth front sprocket. He lives too far away to go ride it myself. He said that there is more engine noise now than before, but going from stock compression to 13.8:1, it ought to rumble!!! He is also running 113 octane VP race fuel (½ C16 & ½ C12; VP Late Model Plus)

I'd love to try it out, but I don't really want to tear down a stock motor yet. Maybe sooner than later though!:D

[#1speedbump]

BS- What do you mean WE GOT, do you work for a shop??? Has JE fixed this problem sense the first few castings? And also what do you mean probably worse than yours??? I am not quite following you. Did the casting get worse???

[BigThumper33]

He's saying HE got the first few castings, along with other possible engine builders. The first few HAD to be milled.

Its probably worse for his piston because its a 13.8. Its going to have a higher dome! And that is what the problem is!


I'd bet JE has already got this problem fixed awhile back.

[Honda Jay]

Originally posted by 29FTEX
A friend of mine put his in Sunday. Judging by the picture he sent me of the piston, it was just as you descibed. Sparks told him that Curtis didn't like the way the piston was, so he milled on them HIMSELF. All of them personally. I talked to my friend today, and he is in the process of breaking it in, but he said that it felt awesome. What that really means, I don't know. He said keeping the front end down now is a lot worse than with the 13 tooth front sprocket. He lives too far away to go ride it myself. He said that there is more engine noise now than before, but going from stock compression to 13.8:1, it ought to rumble!!! He is also running 113 octane VP race fuel (½ C16 & ½ C12; VP Late Model Plus)

I'd love to try it out, but I don't really want to tear down a stock motor yet. Maybe sooner than later though!:D

So could we run a steady 110 octane and by safe, or what octane are you guys using with the JE 13.8???
thanks in advance
jayson

[29FTEX]

I know that VP Late Model (¼ C16 & ¾ C12) is 110 octane is good up to 14:1. The VP Late Model Plus (½ C16 & ½ C12) is 113 octane and good for 14:1 compression or higher. You should have no problem with the 110 octane.

[onebad450r]

BSTURDIVANT....that picture of the piston you have posted looks nothing like my piston....Is that the first or second run of the JE piston?....Scott told me that I had the second run of the piston and it still didn't fit properly. Thats why its got all the grinding done on it

[BSTURDIVANT]

IT's the first run of pistons- JE has it fixed now!

[onebad450r]

I don't think they have it fixed or why would my piston have all these grinding marks on it. You can tell that the dome on my piston is different fom the one you have posted and it was made that way from JE (you can tell from the finish) but it still has some altercations performed with a die grinder. Like I said these are the second run of the piston but Sparks Racing still didn't like the way they fit.

[BSTURDIVANT]

Sparks gets his with huge domes and cuts to desired compression! JE doesnt hand grind anything!

[onebad450r]

I am not tring to start a flame here, with you or JE. Why are you using EXCLAMATION points? Just letting people know what I came across. I don't think that Sparks milled the dome on the piston (factory finish). They have just modded the outside of the dome with a die grinder and touched up the valve reliefs. I wish I had a digital cam to post a pic

[BSTURDIVANT]

Just trying to stress that JE doesn't hand work domes. What you have is Sparks pistons that have not been returned to JE for machining- He did the same thing that I did to ours,except with a die grinder. IT doesn't affect durability and probably ended up with a smother blend by hand. The areas on the sides of the dome(opposite valves) was too big for the chamber and we milled them to fit. You can bet that Curtis got them fitting pretty good and kept the compression where he wanted.

[onebad450r]

BSTURDIVANT....Thanks for taking the time to explain....all I know is what I am being told and most of the time they will tell you what you what to here. I was a little worried about the durability, the effect of the grinding. Its nice to be reassured, Thanks Again