JE Pistons is continually developing new pistons and new technologies for racers and enthusiasts at every level as it strives to build upon what its learned through trial and error to improve its product and stay ahead of the vast range of applications and power adders that exist.
Its latest addition to the catalog is a 1,500-horsepower-capable piston for boosted LS engines in the Ultra series — this is JE’s all-in approach to piston design for LS race engines, and the features are many.
“The Ultra Series is our top-of-the-line, best-of-the-best. We’ve thrown everything but the kitchen sink at this one. It’s got all of the features that we’ve seen top engine builders order over and over as a custom piston, and so we rolled it into a shelf-stock part,” explains Race Winning Brands’ Evan Perkins.
JE uses what it calls Aligned Grain Flow Technology in its forgings, a proprietary process that allows engineers to address key areas of the piston, such as the bosses, that require added strength in the material. The Ultra pistons feature accumulator grooves to help with blow-by, lateral gas ports to help with combustion pressure behind the rings and help the rings seal at high RPM with boost, and a proprietary ceramic coating designed to extend the operating life of the piston.
It also utilizes JE’s patented Perfect Skirt technology, a solid film-lubricant coating that renders piston slap, false knock, and cold-start wear a thing of the past.
JE offers the Ultra series pistons in a range of LS configurations, including 4-inch bore size and up.
For the 4.8- and 5.3-liter LS customers who are moving to 3.905-inch bore sizes, JE has added new SRP 2618 forged pistons for applications in the 700-800 horsepower range.
“These aren’t quite the same level of forging as the Ultra Series, but it’s still a great forging,” Perkins says. “We’re just giving them good bore sizes that they didn’t have before, and it’s still that 2618 material, so it’s our premium material for an entry-level guy. And this piston will last in a boosted application, so guys with a junkyard engine that want to put a real set of pistons in, this is exactly what they need. Cast pistons are okay, but if you really want to make power, you have to go to a forged piston.”