So I have heard good things about polishing the valves for better performance and more power. I decided that if just the valves made a noticeable increase in HP, then surely much more could be found by polishing the pistons. I don't know what kind of gains to expect from this project, but I'm sure it will be worth the time and effort.

They started like this-


All dirty and rough. I noticed there were some odd little rings around the top. They seemed like they would impede the piston's up and down movement. I got rid of those.

All of the black stuff probably absorbs some the explosive energy of the combustion. I set to work getting that junk off. About 40 minutes of sanding got this one here-


It still needs more work, and I have three more to do. I'll update as I progress.

 

wow that is a lot of work on a hunch...I hope it pays off!

 

lol

 

Yeah, just feel like I should go with my gut on this one....

Sandpaper sucks, so I broke out the trusty Dremel.

 

If anything it lowers compression by a slight amount and lowers power. Also will reduce emissions by a negligible amount.

 

WIN!

 

 

Well, this is how they ended up looking. Polishing before welding was a dumb idea....

 

That's way cool, James.

 

Thanks Ian. I can't claim all of the credit though. This was a collaboration between Kenan (Beandip007) and myself.

 

What dish detergent works best for piston cleaning? I've heard that lemon dawn is pretty good but that Palmolive is better for sensitive skin.

 

Fred, forgot what I used. Smelled like apples if that helps.

 

Oh well, thanks anyway...