thanks for the info!
by what your saying..it sounds like they should not be a problem in an NA motor..
what kinda books/school you reccomend to learn about metals and such? obviously you have invested some time on the subject.
Any entry level book on physical metallurgy is a good start if you are really interested in metals and materials. There are tons of case studies on the web on metal and material failures which make for very interesting reading, if you are so inclined, and if your searching skills are sharp. (fire up those bots!)
now...these cimas that i and just about everyone else on the website, has run.. what are they made out of? i know they say forged...but everyone knows they are not a true forged... are they also hypereutectic?
Alas, I don't know much about the current version of CIMA pistons, other than that they are made of an investment cast aluminum. I don't even know the grade! I suppose I should have some failed or throw away ones chopped up, micrographed to determine grain structure, and do a few physical tests to determine strength.
It all doesn't mean a hill of beans, though, unless you know what cylinder pressures, temperatures, unfactored stresses,etc. they are subjected to in order to make some kind of empirical judgement as to fitness for purpose.
The physical tests are really good for determining what contributing factors lead to a failure (after the fact).
As far as hypereutectics go, Keith Black makes a hypereutectic piston that many of the pro stock drag racers use, and these are not low compression engines. The only reason I can see for this is due to the predictable expansion characteristics (less) than forged pistons. Go figure.
Csaba
