Race Tuner’s Biggest Challenges from a Piston-Maker’s Perspective - Engine Builder Magazine

Race Tuner’s Biggest Challenges from a Piston-Maker’s Perspective

Gibtec may be a new name in competition piston-making, but its leaders aren't new to the craft. Nick Plantus, one of the three founding partners of Diamond Racing in 1968 and his colleague, Rob Giebas from a younger generation, served roughly 20 years with the same operation, usually involved in development programs for NHRA Pro Stock programs. But when asked where he sees the biggest challenges in race engine tuning, Giebas responds with one word: Nitrous.

GibtecShopGibtec may be a new name in competition piston-making, but its leaders aren’t new to the craft. Nick Plantus, one of the three founding partners of Diamond Racing in 1968 and his colleague, Rob Giebas from a younger generation, served roughly 20 years with the same operation, usually involved in development programs for NHRA Pro Stock programs.

But when asked where he sees the biggest challenges in race engine tuning, Giebas responds with one word: Nitrous! Why so? “Well, the top tuners will tell you nitrous engines have never been completely mastered—there’s still an element of mystery about them. Nitrous oxide induction requires a totally different approach, and it’s a volatile science; if the tune-up is off a little, parts need replacing.

“Unlike the turbo or blower guys, who might get 50 or 60 runs from their pistons, when those nitrous guys are really pushing hard they’re replacing rings every three or four runs—it resembles the Top Fuel class in many ways. If they ease off a little on the tune-up they’ll become uncompetitive. And when the racing gets close, they’ll routinely dismantle the engine after every pass. Leak-down tests, ring end-gap checks, raised ring lands, pinched rings these are constant topics in their world.”

What provokes a raised ring land or a pinched ring?

Race fuel burns relatively slowly, and if the motor detonates it doesn’t burn the charge properly. As the piston travels down the cylinder, fuel under the ringland and around the ring ignites, causing the ringland to jolt upwards as it fires and the gas expands. Or it might pinch the ring if the mixture is too lean. When you’re forcing a nitrous engine onto the ragged edge of ultimate performance, an elevation change of just 200ft can make a fatal difference.”

GibtecLogoLrWhy do they want billet?

“It’s not just them—most professional engineers who are involved in piston design are constantly making changes. If they didn’t have access to billets they’d probably need several entirely new forgings, which are expensive and take weeks to get.”

What’s the advantage of pistons with buttons?

“They are popular for two reasons. When the piston pin bore breaks into the oil control ring groove, the button prevents the expander in the oil control ring from distorting around the half moon opening, a deficiency more prevalent in power adder engines. But the biggest advantage is convenience: changing pistons with buttons slashes the time and the frustration of fiddling about with the round wire locks or the double spirals.”

If there’s one thing that sets a premium piston apart from a mediocre one, what is it?

“Ultra flat ring grooves—they’re the key to power.”

Source

Gibtec Pistons and Moore Good Ink

You May Also Like

Shop Solutions March 2024

I always keep a pair of needle nose pliers and a small, straight screwdriver in my blast cabinet to hold small parts when blasting.

Engine Builder and Engine Pro present Shop Solutions in each issue of Engine Builder Magazine and at enginebuildermag.com to provide machine shop owners and engine technicians the opportunity to share their knowledge to benefit the entire industry and their own shops. Those who submit Shop Solutions that are published are awarded a prepaid $100 Visa gift card. Submit your Shop Solution at [email protected]. You must include your name, shop name, shop address and shop telephone number. Submitted Shop Solutions not published will be kept on file and reevaluated for each month’s new entries.

Degreeing the Camshaft and Checking Valve-to-Piston Clearance

Jeff McCord of LinCo Diesel Performance walks you through degreeing a camshaft and checking valve-to-piston clearance.

Designing a Better LS Engine

After a customer wanted a Steve Morris Engines’ SMX in an LS version, Steve saw the upside and potential in the market, and a challenge to build a better LS.

The Importance of a Good Valve Job

The valve job ensures the mating surfaces of the valves and the seats properly control the air/fuel mixture.

Other Posts

Chase Wells’ Turbocharged 6.8L Cummins Engine

Chase Wells and his team at 1 Way Diesel Performance are capable of all sorts of different diesel builds from show stoppers to all-out race vehicles. This week, we highlight one of Chase’s own trucks, which features a single-turbo 6.8L Cummins engine! Check it out.

UEM Icon 5.3L EcoTec3 L83 Gen V GDI Pistons

The piston line features forged 4032 alloy for NA and 2618 alloy for boosted applications.

UEM Icon pistons
Pistal High Compression 100mm Drop-in Piston Kit

Made from forged aluminum, these Pistal pistons are both light and have high resistance.

Pistal pistons
Scheid Diesel’s Billet Cummins Dragster Engine

One of the coolest diesel dragsters around belongs to Scheid Diesel. Shop owner Dan Scheid and machinist and drag racer Jared Jones work together on the billet Cummins-powered dragster. We caught up with Jared during the 2023 Ultimate Callout Challenge to get the details of what makes their Cummins engine tick in this Diesel of

Scheid Cummins engine