What Kind Of Pistons Are Available For My Diesel Truck?

If you’re knee-deep into an engine build and the question comes up, “stock pistons or upgraded ones?”, what are you going to say? Maybe you can’t use the factory ones because you’ve sent it just a little too hard. If that is the case, MAHLE Motorsports has you covered regardless of the build or application. Their latest product application guide just came out and as we approach motorsport season, we wanted to give a refresher of what they offer.

Performance Forged

Forged diesel pistons are best suited for dedicated drag and pulling vehicles. Although the Performance Forged pistons are stronger, the lack of a steel top ring groove in the forging will result in a limited lifecycle for street applications. Strength and design flexibility still make the Performance Forged piston a favorite for competition-only applications.

  • CNC machined from MAHLE’s exclusive M142S alloy chosen for its good high temperature strength and low expansion characteristics.
  • Performance bowls with design features intended to reduce erosion issues caused by high pressure, long duration, and advanced injection timing.
  • Customer specified Compression Ratios
  • Fully radiused valve pockets where applicable to reduce stress and fatigue cracking
  • Hard anodized top ring groove for add durability and increased longevity
  • Grafal® coated skirts for reduced drag and increased scuff resistance

Performance Cast

Designed for street/strip or pulling trucks making 400-1000Hp that still get used as a daily driver or work truck. Machined from OE castings (retaining the steel top ring insert) giving the same driveability and longevity of an OE piston with additional strength through industry leading design technology.

  • Performance bowls with design features intended to reduce erosion issues caused by high pressure, long duration, and advanced injection timing.
  • A lower compression ratio (.5 to 1.5 points) allows more flexibility for high output tuning.
  • Fully radiused valve pockets where applicable to reduce stress and fatigue cracking.
  • MAHLE’s proprietary Grafal skirt coating for reduced drag and increased scuff resistance.
  • Rings, pins, and clips included

Whether you’re facing a big repair or just wanting the insurance of better pistons in your engine, MAHLE Motorsports is an excellent resource.

Extreme Duty – Monotherm

Providing unmatched strength and durability, the Monotherm piston will enable you to step to the next level or tow longer with confidence.

  • All forged steel construction
  • Integrated cooling gallery
  • All steel performance designed bowls eliminate all erosion issues from high pressure, long duration, advanced injection timing
  • Steel ring grooves for unmatched durability and longevity
  • Phosphate and Grafal coated to reduce drag and increased scuff resistance

Introducing Thermal Barrier Coating

Thermal Barrier Coating is a ceramic based application that helps reduce heat transfer and protect the piston crown.

  • Durable and resistant to Thermal Shock
  • Designed to withstand the demands of the harshest engine environments
  • Available for all MAHLE Motorsport Piston Applications

Huge Demand

MAHLE has been leading the pack for diesel replacement pistons lately and they have been pumping out pistons as fast as possible to keep up with the demand. When talking with Joe at MAHLE, naturally, I wanted to know which one was the most popular. A surprise to me, Joe explained to me that it was for the cast L5P Duramax piston.

Seeing these trucks out and about, working day in and day out, it comes as no surprise that these are a popular option. There are only two options for piston replacement. These guys are upgrading for insurance because more power is to come or they are making a repair. Regardless, the cast piston option seems to be the hot ticket.

“This is the most popular piston in our entire lineup right now. Literally, thousands have been sold and hundreds are on order,” said Joe Maylish with MAHLE Motorsports. “Our cast L5P pistons or any of our cast pistons, in general, are very durable,” he said. “Right now, you can outfit your engine with a set of these durable pistons for a retail of $1612. If you add deep valve pockets, you’re up to $1,832.” At this point, you need to look at what you’re planning on doing with the truck. MAHLE has a set of forged aluminum pistons but they come at a price.

“Oftentimes we’re asked about what pistons should be used in builds and the only real question they need to answer is are these race-specific engines or is this going to see street time too?” he said. “The cast pistons will take a beating and with add-ons top out at that $1,800 mark whereas the upgraded forged-aluminum pieces are nearly $1,000 more.”

These prices are application-specific, but these are common questions when you’re shopping for the correct pistons for your diesel truck. Stay tuned as we dip farther into the construction of the cast pistons from MAHLE Motorsports in the coming weeks. For more information about what they offer, head on over to their website here.

 

 

 

 

 

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About the author

Artie Maupin

Artie Maupin is from Southeast Missouri and has an extreme passion for anything diesel. He loves drag racing of all kinds, as well as sled pulling competitions.
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