[MOTOIMPAIRED]

The other day I was cleaning up my pistons to put on the new rings and rebuild the short block. I was using gas but it was a real slow process. I had some of that ZEP purple cleaner sitting on the shelve so I put some in a bucket and added some water. That Purple cleaner works awesome on grease if you have ever used it before, well needless to say when I pulled out the pistons they were spotless!!!

They were so spotless that it started to take off the silver coating on the skirt of the pistons! These are stock Ford forged pistons from a 1989 5.0. I never knew if or that they ever put a coating on stock pistons but some small thin film of a metallic something was coming off.

The pistons only sat in the cleaner for an hour.

My question is; what is the coating that was coming off? Is it a thin outer layer of the piston it's self? Do you thing these pistons are useable anymore or did the cleaner ruin the aluminum?

I called DSS and asked them but didnt get any answer. I'm looking to you for advise or if anyone has done this and had this issue before.

[MOTOIMPAIRED]

[MOTOIMPAIRED]

[Quick99]

May as well keep soaking them and see if the rest of that crap comes off.

[BlessedHellride]

I wouldn't use them if it were me. But I'm not sure of what kind of budget you are on. Best thing to do is have them bead blasted now that this coating has started to come off. Can you imagine what these pistons would do now if you were to reinstall them and run them. I foresee alot more of this stuff coming off and getting in between the bearings and crank/camshaft and causing severe issue's. If you can't have them bead blasted, do yourself a favor and toss them out and get a new set. I also see some marks on them that I don't care to see. Besides, stock pistons are an old TRW slug that is a little on the heavy side. get an aftermarket piston with nice valve reliefs so you can upgrade to an alot better camshaft.

[1slo5.0]

If it was me, I wouldn't use them......I wouldn't have used "puple people eater" cleaner either.

[e3sean]

ya the purple stuff eats metal real bad.

the best way to clean a piston i have found if you cant hot tank them is carb cleaner and steel woll

dont reuse those pistons... hell its apart might as well bump the compression up a lil anyway or lower it for boost or stroke it... the possibilitys are endless!!

[MOTOIMPAIRED]

thank you for the comments. I took them to the track Saturday night for the race and asked my buddu's engine builder what he thought. He said basically the same as you guys, Why would I soak them in that crap and he would not use them.

He said they could be cleaned up and used by why would I in the engine that I'm building. Because of the supercharger, he said get new ones, dont take a chance..

Anyone wanna buy a cheap set of clean factory forged pistons.... Cheap!

[GoodOleBoyzRacin]

$5 + shipping

[TKOTLARZ]

Originally Posted by MOTOIMPAIRED thank you for the comments. I took them to the track Saturday night for the race and asked my buddu's engine builder what he thought. He said basically the same as you guys, Why would I soak them in that crap and he would not use them. He said they could be cleaned up and used by why would I in the engine that I'm building. Because of the supercharger, he said get new ones, dont take a chance.. Anyone wanna buy a cheap set of clean factory forged pistons.... Cheap!

how much u gonna pay me to take them????