Disclaimer to moderators:
Since none of our sponsors offer or can accomodate this, I am trying to organize a group purchase of these pistons. I am not an advertiser, vendor, or in any way affiliated with Mahle Motorsports or their vendors.
I'm just trying to get a set of their pistons that will accomodate nitrous for a reasonable price.

Mahle Motorsports has what they call their power-pac piston kits which includes 8 of their pistons and plasma moly/ductile iron rings. I called one of their dealers (AC Nutter) in WA and spoke to a rep named Lee directly at Mahle about availablilty of flat-top forged piston for a 6.00" rod/383 stroker application that is suitable for nitrous. They're current power-pac offering is good for up to a 150 shot, but I'm looking for one that will handle a 200-250 shot.
They told me that it's no problem to make a set that will work, but they would be considered a custom set. Instead of paying $430-$450 it would be MUCH higher.
HOWEVER....
Lee did say that if I were to order 80 pistons instead of just 8 that it would no longer be a custom order and that the price of each set would be around $450/per set.

So I'm trying to rally some people to go in with on getting a set of these made.

FYI, Mahle Motorsports is a leader in OEM and high performance pistons and engine parts worldwide since the 1920's.
They make OEM C5 Vette pistons, as well as those in Vipers, Porsches, and many exotics. They dominate Formula 1, and are used extensively in IRL, Cart, and many european racing circuits. They recently have started to catch on in the US and are becoming popular among circle track racers. If you compare them to other pistons (JE/SRP, Ross, Diamond, Wiseco, Arias, CP) you'll find they come standard with many advantages (in both design and cost). Their website has alot of good info as does a recent article that was in Popular Hot Rodding. Everyone I've spoke to or read of that's used them have praised them.

I need at least 8 other people to commit and we can get this done!

So far:
1. Me
2. BOTTLEDZ28

 

no offense man, i know how it is being on a budget but custom pistons are part of a good motor man. they are all about $700. You ever talk to diamond pistons? they do custom pistons for a good price

 

I understand this. But if I can get a run of them made, there not considered custom anymore and they'll run me about $450-500 instead of $800-900. If I can save $300-400......yeah, I'll take the effort to try and find 9 other people to order with me.

Seriously though; Diamond, JE/SRP, Ross are all nice.....but I like the features the Mahle's come with. Not to mention the fact I don't have to fool with those damn spirolox. These use the F1 style circlips. They're already coated.

 

I have a new set of Diamond Forged dished blower pistons for a 400 + .030. I havent heard anyones oppinion of these pistons... are they good?

 

whats wrong with some SRP's or TRW's?

 

A forged piston that will only take a 150 shot? I'm not sure i'd want a product from a company that trusted their product that little anyway. Hell people run 150 shot's on stock cast pistons. I've run 200's on KB hyperuetectics. And they make an couple applications for this app. Ross pistons make a forged piston for this app, as does wiseco. Eagle will sell you a complete rotating assembly for this app. It's not that uncommon, so you should be able to find a set without going customs.

 

As for Speed Pro, TRW, KB, or SRP; NO! I considered CP (My second choice), Ross, Wiseco (not the Pro-Tru's), and JE.
I'm not focusing on just making power the obvious way. I'm also trying to design this to reduce windage, friction, and reduce rotational weight without sacrificing strength and increasing durablility.
The Mahle off-the-shelf pistons offered for this application are a lightweight style. That's why they don't recommend over a 150 shot. That's not to say they won't handle it. Look in your JE, Ross, and Wiseco catalogs and you'll see that their lightweight versions aren't recommended for it either. Mahle is more than capable of making a piston that will handle larger amounts of N20, it's just more $$$. If I can get 8 other people that won't be an issue.
I bet they'll have more useful features for a set-up like mine than my other choices. And if I can get them for the same price or cheaper then....how foolish am I?

Before you guys start slamming Mahle, read up on them first. Just because it's new to you doesn't mean it's bad. Also check out CP Pistons. Compare them to the other 4 biggies like JE, Ross, Wiseco, and Arias.
Some people kill me...they think: "Ahhh, never heard of them, They're no good."

 

It sounds like you are wrapped too tightly around this piston. If a manufacturers lightweight piston cant handle the same amount as a cast piston it would be useless. In other words; regardless of what the manufacturer literature says, the will take 150-200 even the light weight forms. Depending on cam selection used they could take a 300 or more most likely.

 

Well regardless of whether their off the shelf ones would work or not, I'd rather have them make me a set with the ring grooves down a fuzz more. That's just me.

 

First, in a lot of ways, Mahle is some serious old school/oem stuff, nothing new about them as a company. They’ve long been the choice of OEM’s in high end applications (turbo buicks, turbo saabs, some C5’s… btw, all oem applications that I know of that they've made are either cast or hypereutectic).

Second, what are these features that you will get with them that you can not get with the others in a similar design blower/n2o piston (list them)?

My point being I like their stuff, it’s proven good… but if they can’t supply what you want at a reasonable price, move on. Personally, I buy stuff for what it is and how well it fits in the application, not for the name… If cheap badger pistons will do what I need and I can’t find anything better priced, well that’s what will end up in the engine. The sad fact is that for 90% of what gets built out there, people would be best off with some stockers, KB hypereutectic pistons or some cheap TRW/speedpros then spending an extra $300-700 for a set of Diamond, JE/SRP, Ross, Mahle, whatever pistons… you’ll see more spending that money someplace else and you won’t see any difference in power. I could come up with 3 or 4 cars running between 9 and 11 second ¼ miles with stock or cheap cast pistons, are you going faster then that?