Pistons

Piston

A piston is a cylindrical engine component that slides

back and forth in the cylinder bore by forces produced

during the combustion process.

The piston acts as a movable end of the combustion

chamber.

The stationary end of the combustion chamber is the

cylinder head

Piston features

Piston head,

Piston pin bore,

Piston pin,

Skirt,

Ring grooves,

Ring lands, and

Piston rings

The piston head is the top surface (closest to the cylinder

head) of the piston which is subjected to tremendous forces and

heat during normal engine operation.

A piston pin bore is a through hole in the side of the piston

perpendicular to piston travel that receives the piston pin.

A piston pin is a hollow shaft that connects the small end of

the connecting rod to the piston.

The skirt of a piston is the portion of the piston closest to the

crankshaft that helps align the piston as it moves in the cylinder

bore.

A ring groove is a recessed area located around the

perimeter of the piston that is used to retain a piston ring.

Ring lands are the two parallel surfaces of the ring

groove which function as the sealing surface for the piston

ring.

A piston ring is an expandable split ring used to

provide a seal between the piston an the cylinder wall.

Piston Design
Considerations
Pistons

must:

Contain cylinder pressure

Transmit the pressure created by
combustion to force on the
connecting rod
Provide a place for oil control and
compression rings to be located

 Aluminum expands when heated, and

proper clearance must be provided to

maintain free piston movement in the cylinder

bore.

Insufficient clearance can cause the piston

to seize in the cylinder.

Excessive clearance can cause a loss of

compression and an increase in piston noise

Piston Design
Considerations
Pistons

must:

Be rigid enough to not deform under

the tremendous pressures and forces
encountered
Be ductile enough to absorb pressure
peaks and not shatter
Retain the proper shape under the
extreme temperatures encountered.

Piston Construction
Materials

Cast iron (used in very old engines)

Cast aluminum (most common)
Forged aluminum
Hypereutectic alloys (high silicon
content aluminum)
Carbon Graphite (being tested)

Piston Construction

Piston Construction
Piston

head

Round
Approx. .040 undersized
Ring

grooves
Ring lands
Drain holes and slots
Wrist pin boss

Piston Construction
Reinforcing

struts cast pistons

contain steel struts to control
expansion and aid in wrist pin
support
Lock ring grooves for fullfloating piston pins
Piston skirt
Full skirt
Partial skirt

Piston Construction
Cam

ground pistons.

Most pistons are cam ground, this

means they are not perfectly round.
The diameter is larger on the nonthrust sides, because they tend to
expand more as the temperature of
the piston increases.
Piston

taper pistons may be

tapered from top to bottom

Piston Construction
Piston

Pin Offset

The piston pin is offset towards the

major thrust side of the piston to
reduce piston wear, and piston noise
The major thrust side is the side that
is loaded during the power event
The minor thrust side is the side
loaded during the compression event

Major/Minor Thrust

Piston Direction
Pistons should be positioned so arrow, dot or other marking
faces the front of the engine (except reverse rotation
engines)

Piston Head Design

Pistons

may have a dished, flat or

domed design

Piston Inspection
Abnormal

skirt wear

Scoring
Melted

aluminum or pits in the

head indicates detonation
Cracks check ring lands, pin
boss, and skirt closely
Pin bore check for scoring and
wear