Y block pistons
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Senior User
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From: OKC, Ok
Y block pistons
I am about to take my 292 block back to the machine shop to have the cylinders cut. Has anyone used the Perfect Circle pistons sold by NAPA? This engine is not being built for high performance but I still want it to last. The Perfect Circle name has been around for over sixty years and used to be top quality parts but i am sure these are forien made in this day and age. It is the only brand of piston NAPA sells. Tom
More Turbo
Joined: Nov 2003
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From: Peoria, IL (more or less)
My concern would be that pins are supposed to be fitted very accurately to pistons, which is why they are normally supplied with the set. That's not to say that a good machinist can't measure/fit them correctly...but it's generally a good idea to use new pins. Hopefully NAPA can get them separately, & will be willing to exchange any that won't work. Your machinist will of course try different pins in different pistons, mixing & matching to see what works. He may not be particularly happy about it...or, he may be perfectly happy to charge you for his time. 
The only other thing I would add is that Perfect Circle is currently part of the Dana Corporation (going through bankruptcy as we speak)...I believe the pistons are/were probably made by Clemex, the Dana Mexican Clevite subsidiary. They are not particularly admired for their quality or accuracy, unfortunately. I've heard via the grapevine that Clemex has closed & now reopened their Mexican plant, with some resulting issues.
All that being said, they may be perfectly fine. The price was right, assuming it doesn't take a ton of work to make them good.
The only other thing I would add is that Perfect Circle is currently part of the Dana Corporation (going through bankruptcy as we speak)...I believe the pistons are/were probably made by Clemex, the Dana Mexican Clevite subsidiary. They are not particularly admired for their quality or accuracy, unfortunately. I've heard via the grapevine that Clemex has closed & now reopened their Mexican plant, with some resulting issues.
All that being said, they may be perfectly fine. The price was right, assuming it doesn't take a ton of work to make them good.
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Joined: May 2006
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From: chillicothe ohio
he should measure the pistons before he bores it anyways.i work part time in the winter at our local napa machine shop and i have never seen none of there pistons that didnt come with pins in them.i just ordered a complete overhaul kit and it came with everything including cam.
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Originally Posted by stockcar nut
My cost- $32 plus tax for a set of eight, NO rings, wrist pins, or pin keepers. Tom
Don't walk......run! $32.00 divided by 8 = $4.00 per piston. Total= JUNK. Plus you have to find pins that fit, plus the pin retainers are no longer available, anywhere. Believe me, I have been looking. Egge machine has the pistons with the proper compression height, with pins and retainers for about $260.00. Yes I know thats a lot more than the others, but they work.
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From: OKC, Ok
Ok, I knew something stunk about the price but we triple checked and even made several phone calls and was assured that was the price for a set of eight so the pistons were ordered using the Perfect Circle part number. So, the pistons arrived last Tuesday from the factory in Mississippi and we were billed $32 per piston. The parts manager came over and talked to us and decided he did not want these sitting on the shelf from now on and did some "creative" computer work and sold me the set for $70 dollars tax paid, out the door. Now, the rest of it is, the pistons did come with pins and keepers and are Clevite pistons. I'm happy, my machinist is happy and next week I will start the reassembly of my fresh, forty over, 292. Buns, the keepers are nothing more than good circlips of the right thickness and should not be too hard to find. Check with your machinist. I bet he can get you some. Tom
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