i just finised putting my pistons i the cylinders. i have a question. there are no arrows pointing to the front of the block, and i need to know if the pistons are in right. there is one valve cut in each pistons. there are letters on the pistion top. they are upside down. do you think i should have the lettersfacing right side up?

the letters are engraved in the pistion top. this is a 427.

 

they should have some sort of mark on them, check and see if there is a small "dot" stamped in them. different manuf.'s use different marks for this.

if nothing else post a pic of the piston and maybe someone can help.

 

There's always some kind of key mark on the pistons to indicate "front". You should have 4 pistons assembled onto their rods one way, and 4 the other way; all rods should be in the motor such that the bearing tangs are away from the camshaft (down). If there are valve reliefs in only one side of the piston, that will be the intake side. If this is a BB the exhaust valves are much more nearly perpendicular to the top of the piston; the intake valve is canted way over toward the intake manifold, and requires a much larger notch. The dome should be to the outside (exhaust) of the motor.

 

wow i'm happy i read this post. i would of just dropped the piston's in any what way.

 

the valve relief's should also be a different size which will narrow down most of that for you.

 

dson't know where i got it or if it's even right but i have always beleived PNs and other such info on a parts should be readable as you install it. guess what i heard was more in respect to gaskets. there should be a dot, notch, arrow, or something to show the dront of the piston.