JaNicholson...

DeltaRed · Sep 8, 2011

In an earlier post you said that step head /altitude pistons were also the "Firecrater"piston.I Always thought "Firecraters" had a little 'crater' in the top-for more "swirl"/turbulence-more power?Please explain.Thank You!Steve

Owen Aaland · Sep 8, 2011

(quoted from post at 23:12:48 09/08/11) In an earlier post you said that step head /altitude pistons were also the "Firecrater"piston.I Always thought "Firecraters" had a little 'crater' in the top-for more "swirl"/turbulence-more power?Please explain.Thank You!Steve

Firecrater is the brand name of the step head pistons that IH sold. That is why you never see them sold anywhere else. Other companies sold step head pistons but they couldn't exactly duplicate the swirl chamber or use that name.

DeltaRed · Sep 8, 2011

Does CNH still sell/offer "Firecraters"?

Janicholson · Sep 8, 2011

Owen is correct.
The primary feature of a "popup" piston (one extending into the combustion chamber) is to raise compression without changing the combustion chamber design, or milling the head.
The key factors are producing a design that doesnot hit the combustion chamber edges, or hit the valves during the Overlap moment. (not an issue with slow operating tractor engines, butr way important in auto engines that can (and do crash destructively if the timing belt/gears get out of sync.
Swirl and compression turbulance is nice for increasing efficiency of combustion in days before direct injection gas engines now being introduced.
Unless a lab is dedicated to high end research into flame travel, and unburned hydrocarbons, the "crater" element would be hard to prove effective in promoting swirl/turbulance.
Intake runner, valve angle, and chamber design are vrey much more important in Swirl than dome shape. I hope this helps. Jim

Anonymous-0 · Sep 8, 2011

IH was not the only one to use Firecrater pistons. We had two guys that did custom work for us. They both were big into Allis Chalmers. They had D-14 D-15 & D-17's equiped with firecrater pistons from the factory.

randy hall · Sep 8, 2011

ih originally had step head pistons. that is how they raised compression for the 5000' and 8000' engine options. after m production was over and m+w came out with their turbo-dome design ih came out with their fire-crater pistons. personally i prefer the m+w turbo-domes over the fire=craters. i sell fire-crater look alikes from howard enterprises. ps the allis pistons were called either 'crater' or power crater. i don't remember which one. ac had a flat head so their pistons were actually just a crater for swirl, no dome. similar to a diesel piston.

DeltaRed · Sep 9, 2011

So what you are saying is the firecrater is really just stepped head piston?That means my SM has firecraters!cool!

Owen Aaland · Sep 9, 2011

(quoted from post at 10:14:38 09/09/11) So what you are saying is the firecrater is really just stepped head piston?That means my SM has firecraters!cool!

If they are IH pistons they are probably Firecrators. If they are not IH they are step head pistons but not Firecrators. Firecrators were made originally by Zolner and had a Z cast into the bottom of the wrist pin boss. The vendor may have changed with later production.

It is much like Kleenex is a facial tissue but not all facial tissues are Kleenex. A Cresent wrench is an adjustable end wrench but not all adjustable end wrenches are Cresent wrenches. Losing a trade name can be a real problem for companies with popular products. The escalator is good example of what can happen. In 1900 Otis Elevator Company filed for a trademark of the inclined elevator, ESCALATOR. In 1950 the courts ruled that Otis had not done enough to protect the trademark and it was deemed to now be a generic term.

JaNicholson...

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