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Need some input for J&E Pistons. What do you guys want to see from them...

PhillyTurboSix

PhillyTurboSix

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Staff member
As I contact vendors over the year for the goodie bag items for the BPG event and the MAGNA car show, from time to time they ask me to get them some feedback in the market the make products for. I was chatting with the JE Piston rep and he wanted me to get him some input. So here is your chance to get your voice heard at JE Pistons. Post away what you guys think and I'll forward them your requests!



What do you think about our current product offering for the turbo V6 engines? Should we add more combinations that are popular (different rod/stroke combinations, different compression ratios, etc...) or is the current offering of a basic, stock spec racing piston serve what most people need? Give me your thoughts and we'll adjust as needed to best serve the market.
 
The cylinder head combustion chamber size on an '89 Turbo Trans Am is smaller than a Grand National. So what is the correct part number for a TTA piston made by JE?
 
The original post above led me to believe that JE may now have a part number for a TTA piston - but my experience was different. In 2009 a vendor sold me a set of custom JE GN pistons that were supposed to have been modified for use in a TTA. I spent 1/2 an hour on the phone with this vendor - advising him of the combustion chamber size that I had measured. As I slowly broke in the engine, at 250 miles, I finally tried a mild 10 psi of boost. Blew the head gaskets from having too much compression - because in fact - they had NOT been modified at all - just a regular off-the-shelf GN piston stocked by JE. So the next time I bypassed the vendor and discussed the issue directly with a JE engineer. I read him the part number off the piston box which confirmed the facts = just a normal unmodified GN piston = I got hosed.

So he and I then worked out a new custom piston order which raised the pin height 0.040" to drop the piston down in the bore and yield the correct 8 to 1.0 compression when using the combustion chamber size that I measured. I got a part number for the new design from him and placed the order through Summit to save some money off of "list" price. This new piston solved the problem - still working great. But since that time, if JE now has a standard part number for a TTA piston, I'd like to know what it is.
 
Picture261.jpg


correct tta je pistons .20 over
 
Yes, my TurboBuick JE pistons (0.020 over with modified pin height) look the same as yours in a picture. So do the wrong ones that blow head gaskets. More importantly what was the number on your piston box? I'll probably be seeing my piston box some time soon as I pack up the attic in anticipation of my move to Florida in March. I saved the box.
 
I'm sorry but it looks like I lost my invoice. Note that I didn't get the same pistons as member TTA299. His piston might be more appropriate for your engine than mine. My heads came from Central Jersey Motor Parts and the cc's may be different than a stock TTA head. I had them machined and cc'd by Champion so that I could figure out the right piston design for me.

The 0.020" over pistons that I ordered were custom with a modified pin height that I specified (raised pin 0.050"). I spoke directly with a guy named Stacey at JE (714) 898-9764 to work it out. Buying pistons directly from JE at list price was out of the question. So Stacy assigned a job number (775611) for my unique design. Then I called Jegs and told the sales guy to call Stacey to get a price on job 775611. A little later Jegs called me back and the price was about half of list. So I placed the order. Oh, and don't forget to mention to Stacey that you also want wrist pins and locks included in the job so that you don't have to buy them separately later.
 
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