Piston is broken

3

35th T-bird SC

Registered User
One of my pistons broke when take rings off. I know I didn't do it, it must of been cracked before I pulled the ring off and a chunk came off between the lands of the top two rings. Can I just replace one piston. I didn't see why not. Does it have to be a ford piston or can I get an aftermarket one from autozone or someplace?
 
If 1 has been detonated bad enough to break the ringland (that's what causes the ringlands to break) I'll bet the other 5 aren't in the best shape either. I'd get a whole set of 6, whether used from a good motor or new doesn't matter. If not, you're running a really good chance of putting it back together just to have to pull it and replace the other 5 anyway.
 
Would'nt detonation show visible damage to the top of the piston though? I already ordered one from Ford ($33) I did not have any carbon buildup, ring ridge(pulled pistons out without any problems) stuck or damaged rings, scoring bad bad valves or anything else that would indicate detonation. Maybe I did something wrong when puling the ring off. It's not like I was using a screwdriver. I was using a ring expander.:confused:
 
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Blackbird is right, pistons break at the ring grooves because of detonation. You did nothing that should have broken that piston, there MUCH tougher than that.
I'm also with Blackbird on the remaining pistons. In fact I would now suspect every internall part of the engine and would be going over each and every part with a fine toothed comb.
Detonation is equel to hitting the heads and pistons with a sledge hammer and that force gets transfered to all the other internal parts of the engine.
 
Actually, I think that is the one I dropped when I pulled it out. It landed on the side at the rings from about 3.0 feet on concrete floor. I thought nothing of it because when I quickly snagged it the same time it hit I looked at it and saw nothing wrong. I will go confirm that was the one. It just dawned on me.
 
I've thrown regular cast pistons across the shop pitching them about 7 feet in the air, with rods attached, and about 20 feet across the room and it didn't break. Would find it hard to believe a hypereutectic was broken being dropped 3 feet. Slight detonation will not leave visible marks on anything. But, over time, it's like a 'mini' sledgehammer banging on the piston. The frequency eventually will crack the ringlands.

Get a set of pistons!!!!

"Never time or money to do it right, but always time and money to do it again"
 
Done, you're right, 6 brand new OEM on order from the only dealership in the country that has any (maybe) they are obsolete now but a Ford dealer in Texas had 8 of them. $33 a piece. I have a new balancer on oreder too. Thanks for the tough love.
 
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