Taiwanese Pistons : MGC Forum : The MG Experience

Taiwanese Pistons #1
FlashGumby Scott McGrath Boca Raton, Sunny South Florida, USA Sign in to contact 1969 MG MGC "Madge"	Topic Creator (OP) Oct 1, 2014 06:18 PM Joined 14 years ago 856 Posts

Just got my new +.30 pistons from Moss.

Made in Taiwan? They didn't mention that in the catalog...

Wondering how well they'll handle the next track day eye popping smiley

-Scott

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Re: Taiwanese Pistons #2
PFT-000 Bruce Ibbotson Brisbane, Australia Sign in to contact 1968 MG MGC GT "The Truck"	Oct 1, 2014 11:56 PM Top Contributor Joined 11 years ago 3,539 Posts

Scott,

I am about to fit my +20 thou pistons into the GGL.
They are made in Taiwan and are 'County' Brand, the ring set (3 compression & 2 oil rings) are made in the USA.

Mine were supplied by Doug Smith of MG Motorsport in the UK.
They use these in their fast road engines (up to 238 hp) and have been using them for some time.

A friend in the UK has a set of these in his MGC roadster and they have been there for a long time.

It seems there are not a lot of choices with pistons for the GGL.

Bruce.

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Re: Taiwanese Pistons #3
romeo69 Stephen Curtis , Berkshire, UK Sign in to contact 1967 MG MGC	Oct 2, 2014 02:33 AM Joined 13 years ago 1,801 Posts

Scott.they are good

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Re: Taiwanese Pistons #4
FlashGumby Scott McGrath Boca Raton, Sunny South Florida, USA Sign in to contact 1969 MG MGC "Madge"	Topic Creator (OP) Oct 2, 2014 06:55 AM Joined 14 years ago 856 Posts

Thanks guys.

These are County as well. I guess that's the new norm.

My guess is that there's not much difference between the Grant and Deves rings.

-Scott

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Re: Taiwanese Pistons #5
PFT-000 Bruce Ibbotson Brisbane, Australia Sign in to contact 1968 MG MGC GT "The Truck"	Oct 2, 2014 06:17 PM Top Contributor Joined 11 years ago 3,539 Posts

Scott,

My rings are 'Grant' so if Doug Smith uses them they should be good for a road car.

The mechanical engineer who did my block work said the 'County' pistons were all reasonably good for balance, he tapered the ends of the gudgeon (wrist) pins to balance the piston and gudgeon as a set, very little material removed from the gudgeon pins, nothing removed from the pistons.

My factory Hepalite (replacement set and original set) pistons had much more material removed from the piston skirts when they were balanced.

The factory engine balance was rated as poor by the mechanical engineer (long time friend of 40+ years) who balanced the GGL for me after the flywheel was lightened about 20% to 25% from memory,
This improved the GGL considerably, it is a very smooth engine and with the Downton set up a huge improvement to the terrible dull engine that Abingdon shipped to me.

Bruce.

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Re: Taiwanese Pistons #6
Vincesmgc Vince Warry West vancouver, BC, Canada Sign in to contact 1969 MG MGC	Oct 10, 2014 12:10 PM Joined 10 years ago 78 Posts

Taiwan is moved well into its "good" phase of industrialization. Japan, Taiwan, South Korea = Good. China= middle ground. Malaysia and Philippines is where the cheapest stuff is being made now....

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Re: Taiwanese Pistons #7
kirks-auto Robert Kirk (RIP) Davenport, IA, USA Sign in to contact	Oct 11, 2014 07:53 AM Top Contributor Joined 15 years ago 21,573 Posts

India can too cause a mixed result. I stock both County and the AP modern brand are available for a cost. The County supplied rings are normally Hastings the only USA made rings still made in the USA. IIRC, Deves as it used to be, is no more.

Regards,
Robert Kirk

kirkbrit@yahoo.com
E-mail PLEASE for quote/questions/orders

Business phone 563 323 1017

http://kirks-auto.com/
Moss distributor/UK importer
Beat or match most retail/delivered quote

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Re: Taiwanese Pistons #8
FlashGumby Scott McGrath Boca Raton, Sunny South Florida, USA Sign in to contact 1969 MG MGC "Madge"	Topic Creator (OP) Oct 11, 2014 08:29 AM Joined 14 years ago 856 Posts

Deves is still in business.

Their sales dept worked out of MiniMania for a while, but I guess that there was some sort of a falling out or they brought someone in that knew the product better and operate out of Las Vegas now.

My last 2 sets in Madge were Deves rings. http://www.deves.com/

-Scott

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014-10-11 09:15 AM by FlashGumby.

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Re: Taiwanese Pistons #9
kirks-auto Robert Kirk (RIP) Davenport, IA, USA Sign in to contact	Oct 12, 2014 09:39 AM Top Contributor Joined 15 years ago 21,573 Posts

Some people don't care for Deves rings.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/911-engine-rebuilding-forum/633850-deves-rings.html

I'll stick to my original statement but can't back it up. Hastings are the only USA rings made. When ordering bulk pistons with the County name, I specify Hastings and pass on any sets with Deves. No dog in this fight just going by what I hear on the street, shops and engine builders.

Regards,
Robert Kirk

kirkbrit@yahoo.com
E-mail PLEASE for quote/questions/orders

Business phone 563 323 1017

http://kirks-auto.com/
Moss distributor/UK importer
Beat or match most retail/delivered quote

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Re: Taiwanese Pistons #10
B-racer Jeff Schlemmer Shakopee, MN, USA Sign in to contact 1950 Willys Jeep Pickup "Ratrod" 1964 Land Rover Series IIA 1971 MG MGB	Oct 29, 2014 03:29 PM Top Contributor Joined 17 years ago 20,011 Posts

Robert, you can't use 911 data to determine the usefulness of Deves rings. The 911 uses aluminum cylinders that are plated with Biral or Nicosil. They're worried about plating peeling off. We don't have those issues.

jeff@advanceddistributors.com

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Re: Taiwanese Pistons #11
kirks-auto Robert Kirk (RIP) Davenport, IA, USA Sign in to contact	Oct 30, 2014 08:17 AM Top Contributor Joined 15 years ago 21,573 Posts

Jeff
A poor choice on my part, granted. It was the first available in a hasty chase to make a point. I will however stick with my assertion, in the recent past 20 years, several LBC engine builders I know have been critical of Deves rings and Jahn's pistons. While I am not a race driver on the track, and certainly no professional engine builder, I take such specific observations to heart.

I take the criticism of Ford vs Chevy vs Mopar less to heart but do have strong opinions about Toyota. winking smiley

Regards,
Robert Kirk

kirkbrit@yahoo.com
E-mail PLEASE for quote/questions/orders

Business phone 563 323 1017

http://kirks-auto.com/
Moss distributor/UK importer
Beat or match most retail/delivered quote

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Re: Taiwanese Pistons #12
B-racer Jeff Schlemmer Shakopee, MN, USA Sign in to contact 1950 Willys Jeep Pickup "Ratrod" 1964 Land Rover Series IIA 1971 MG MGB	Oct 30, 2014 03:49 PM Top Contributor Joined 17 years ago 20,011 Posts

...and other engine builders insist on Deves rings, even in race applications. They break in quickly, and while they are not the longest lasting, can serve a very important purpose in an engine that will benefit from their characteristics.

Personally, I'd take Deves before another set of Total Seal!

jeff@advanceddistributors.com

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Re: Taiwanese Pistons #13
kirks-auto Robert Kirk (RIP) Davenport, IA, USA Sign in to contact	Oct 30, 2014 04:08 PM Top Contributor Joined 15 years ago 21,573 Posts

The inference is Deves are cast iron. Cast iron wears "in" fast but only if the walls are hard. If the block is sacrificial, chrome moly rings are preferrred. I know of no one on the F1 or NASCAR or NHRA who would prefer cast iron rings.

I would otherwise agree with you Jeff but we are going VERY esoteric iver issues that can easily be deferred to use of Hasting rings for any engine, designed for the variances. IMHO. smileys with beer

Regards,
Robert Kirk

kirkbrit@yahoo.com
E-mail PLEASE for quote/questions/orders

Business phone 563 323 1017

http://kirks-auto.com/
Moss distributor/UK importer
Beat or match most retail/delivered quote

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Re: Taiwanese Pistons #14
twentyover Greg Fast Lives in SoCal, Moving back to ancestral homeland, the Pacific NW, USA Sign in to contact	Oct 30, 2014 07:48 PM Top Contributor Joined 18 years ago 5,269 Posts

I've been under the understanding that all rings were cast iron,that chrome rings were cast iron and hard chromed on the cylinder face, and moly rings were cast iron with a thin groove on the cylinder face packed with molybdenum

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Re: Taiwanese Pistons #15
Speedracer Hap Waldrop Taylors, SC, USA Sign in to contact 1967 MG MGB Racecar "The Biscuit"	Oct 31, 2014 05:18 AM Top Contributor Joined 18 years ago 43,753 Posts

I hate the Deeves 4 piece oil control ring, talk about a friction maker, no need for a oil control ring to have that much drag. The Hasting oil control ring is a foolproof design and the only one I use in my performance and race engine, it is the the #1 oil control in performance and race applications.

MG blocks have a lot of nickel in them, that's why a old tired MG engine block normally has no ridges, I don't even own a ridge cutter. I use Total Seal gapless second ring set ups in my race applications, and sometimes in high end street engines as well. I'll use a steel chrome top ring, and cast iron/steel gapless second ring and the Hastings oil control ring in these custom sets. One cool thing about dealing with Total Seal is they don't actually make rings, but rather modify other manufacturers rings, so I can make up a custom set to be whatever I want them to be.

Hap Waldrop
Acme Speed Shop
864-370-3000
Website: www.acmespeedshop.com
hapwaldrop@acmespeedshop.com

Acme Speed Shop www.mgexp.com

MG/ Triumph Performance Street Engines - Cylinder Head Porting for street performance and race - DIY Engine Rebuild Kits With Free Tech Advice - VTO alloy wheels for British Sports Cars, and others

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