440 pistons

[170cuda]

I'm building a .030 over 440 with 516 heads stock steel crank and recond LY rods. What piston would you guys recomend to get about 10.5:1 compression out of it. It will be a mild bracket motor.

[Chryco Psycho]

Use the Speed Pro l2355F , check your deck height as it is assembled & you will be very close to 10.5 , you can taylor it with deck height & head gasket 

[170cuda]

Will I need bigger valve reliefs the heads have 2.14 1.81 valves in them.

[Chryco Psycho]

no , the reliefs will clear the valves

[1 Wild R/T]

Use the Speed Pro l2355F , check your deck height as it is assembled & you will be very close to 10.5 , you can taylor it with deck height & head gasket 

Should make a nice safe combo, the 516's won't breath enough to risk breaking an LY rod due to the heavy L2355F piston, 

[Chryco Psycho]

for more $$ Diamond Ross & JE all make a lighter forged piston + you will spend more on balancing depends on your budget

[170cuda]

Just looking for a cheap reliable build nothing fancy. Thanks for the help.

[Moparal]

I could recomend some silvolite kb237's.  .010 in the hole some felpro  .042 gaskets, install some 2.14  1.81 valves, an 850 holley, open plenum intake, 3500/4000 stall 29 inch tires 430 gears and have a blast for many passes of pleasure. cam selection should be around a 3000 to 6200 rpm.  Of corse there are many combo"s, but this piston will give you what you want and last a long while.  Balancing is always a great thing, but you can get by just installing in yer shop and get going. This is a bugjet engine and low maintenance. 

[Chryco Psycho]

personally I would never use KB piston , for a very little more $$ you can have a good forged piston that is indestructable
the L2355F is a stock weight piston & with the stock LY rod so it is the same as it came from the factory & the 516 heads got my Duster into the mid 11s with porting & larger valves so the heads can`t be that bad

[moper]

KB237s at 0 deck hieght is my std "solid performance" package. Nothing wrong with them when istalled and spec'd properly. They are lighter than factory, I'm pretty sure the TRW/Speed Pros are heavier actually..but I could be wrong on that one. They run quieter, and are as reliable in most stock stroke applications, and cost less than $300.

[Tubbed440]

KB237s at 0 deck hieght is my std "solid performance" package. Nothing wrong with them when istalled and spec'd properly. They are lighter than factory, I'm pretty sure the TRW/Speed Pros are heavier actually..but I could be wrong on that one. They run quieter, and are as reliable in most stock stroke applications, and cost less than $300.

Yup.  I built a 440 when I was 17 (12 years ago) with a set of KB's zero decked and LY rods.  That motor has outlived 3 cars and is presently in a 65 coronet with a 4 speed.  I sprayed a 175 HP shot a of gas to that thing on a religious basis at the track and never had a problem with it.  Getting a motor to live is all in the tune and the machine work / set up.

[Chryco Psycho]

 
 the machinist will make or break the engine

[Moparal]

Oh so true Chryco, I build mine myself.

[Chryco Psycho]

I assemble mine & have an awesome machinist that i rely on

[moper]

                     Same with me.