After much thought regarding my turbo zetec build, ive decided to do it right with a fresh engine build instead of the st170 route or the decompression plate method.
Ive got a 20ltr black top motor which will get a tear down at the weekend.
Just wondered what forged pistons are being used, is there a popular brand or type typical to this conversion, and whats the ideal compression ratio to aim for.
Any advise from you guys that run these motors would be much appreciated.

 

Contact ian howell/area six he has custom cp / arais piston made to his spec and they are not much more than a cheap set of off the shelf piston. Ian is a very helpful guy aswell . The comp ratio he likes to use is 7:45:1

Cheers paul

 

you can get wossner pistons in varying compression ratios.
I will be going this route with mine along with pec rods.
comes in at around Ł800 for the full set of both.

 

Can't go wrong with talking to Ian Howell as above, what he says is all ways truthful and like said, he will help out along the build

 

Does he have a website, does he still trade as area six ??

 

Use focus RS pistons if you want to make it a little cheaper. Ford/mahle probably spent thousands working out what was the best for that engine, so makes sense to use them

 

I have some brand new area six pistons

 

You can contact him on Facebook, plus Ian's piston have the oil ring machined lower on the piston to help blow by. Certain Pistons makes I wouldn't use but cp and arias are 2 of the best in the world just check there webpage out

 

i would rate CP, but i've had some custom arias pistons before that were machined like crap. I know they're supposed to be good, but i wasn't impressed at all.

 

Mine were super quality but I think ian use mainly cp because they have faster turn around

Cheers paul

 

The last set I bought off Ian where cosworth green skirts, and he rated them well as a slighty cheaper option to cp's but I'm not sure you can still get them

 

Try contacting Jano @ Oddkidcreation

 

I have cosworth green skirts apparently from Ian as well

 

I know Ian's brother in law or cousin worked / works for cosworth , years ago he couldn't get them made as a single set it was always large batch orders so maybe they have changed the policy and are happy to machine a set of Pistons . I can remember him telling me he paid a few grand for a lorry load of wrc focus zetec engine parts , he had around 20 cgi blocks and was selling them for a Ł100 each lol

 

i used wiseco in my build a few years back, but if you add in customs charges etc i only saved a couple of hundred quid over buying from the uk.
i did have the ratio at 8.0:1 and had the oil ring moved down a little as i knew ian had this done too with the cp's.
it was a pain to get them organised though, loads of emails as they only listed high compression ones, no issues with the product though, very little rattle when cold if any and no oil usage in the time i used them.