more power: firecraters or stepped heads

thetractorfreak · Dec 28, 2012

i currently have firecrater pistons in my h and m and have been very impressed with them, but am about to build a 450 block to go in the m and currently have firecrater 4 1/8 pistons for it. It needs sleeves and i noticed stepped head pistons seem to be more common, so which makes more power/ compression?

DeltaRed · Dec 28, 2012

The way I under stand it is the "fireCrater" name is IHs proprietory name for a steppedhead piston.That wquld mean they are the same thing.I could be wrong about that....

Janicholson · Dec 28, 2012

Piston Head design is important, but not as important as the displacement of the crown into the combustion chamber to increase compression. 8000ft high altitude pistons are about as high a compression as IH ever made. (I think) There ase sure to be custom pistons made for pullers that need valve relief and combustion chamber edge modification to fit with no interference. Generally the more plain the surface the better the flame propagation. Jim

David G · Dec 29, 2012

I am looking at overhauling my H in a few years and upgrading pistons. Are the firecrater pistons the same as stepped pistons from this site?

CNKS · Dec 29, 2012

My Super M has IH fire craters. I bought a new piston/ring/sleeve kit for my overhaul. The stephead pistons in the kit obviously have less compression than the original fire craters. I took the whole thing to a machinest/engine rebuilder and he cleaned up the fire craters, will use them with the new sleeves and rings when I reassemble it. Not saying that all kits are like that, but mine was.

pete 23 · Dec 29, 2012

It's in the crater like they say. No, the fire crater is the same style piston IH started using in the 706 gas and almost every new gas engine they made after that time. Supposed to be slightly more effecient than the same compression, flat domed (step head) piston. I always felt they ran really nice. You can of course get high altitude fire craters also, or could I should say. We used to put them in the M's that still had dist heads.

D Slater · Dec 29, 2012

First picture what a IH step head piston looked like for a 450. Fire crater next and aftermarket that is a cross between a IH step head and a fire crater piston. IH used to make both types with a few different height raises above the piston flat.

D Slater · Dec 29, 2012

Better picture on the fire crater.

thetractorfreak · Dec 31, 2012

thanks for the replys, i have a 450 gas head going on and plan on farming/ pulling with it so i will use the firecraters

more power: firecraters or stepped heads

thetractorfreak

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DeltaRed

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Janicholson

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David G

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CNKS

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pete 23

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D Slater

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D Slater

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thetractorfreak

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