FORMULA 1 PISTONS PUSHED TO THE LIMIT
Back in the normally aspirated era of Formula 1, it was the piston that was usually the most stressed component in the engine. Just take a look at some of the F1 pistons that we currently have for sale – each piston has a tale to tell.
Here’s a couple of close-up photos of our Cosworth Formula 1 TJ pistons from 2004 (we’ve still got some available), showing just how much abuse they received when they were being raced.
Carbon build-up on the crown wasn’t unusual in this era, but it did affect performance. It does however illustrate just how close the valves got, with the faces of the valves taking away the carbon layer in the pockets and just touching the piston. Now imagine the pistons moving up and down at 19,000 rpm, or over 300 times per second!
The witness marks of the valve faces in the pockets illustrates just how precise the timing had to be on these engines. Valve control was exceptional, thanks in part to the pneumatic valve springs, which gave a consistent and repeatable amount of force regardless of the age of the engine.
The Xylan coating on the skirt shows heavy wear but remember that it’s a sacrificial layer that has prevented scuffing in the bore. You can see the scroll pattern of the grooved surface beneath the coating that helps trap oil for lubrication.
The undercrown photo shows just how much machining was carried out by Cosworth. The piston started life as a forging, but the undercrown was then extensively machined to create weigh-saving pockets and slots which couldn’t be formed during forging.
These extreme weight saving measures were essential, and without them it would have been impossible to get to the ear-splitting speed of 19,000 rpm. The inertial load created by the sudden changes in direction of the piston is directly proportional to the piston mass, so the lighter the piston, the lower the inertial load, or the faster you can run the engine.
These pistons are an incredible feat of engineering even if they are now 20 years old. You can get yours today whilst stock lasts from our on-line shop here: Cosworth TJ Formula 1 Piston (Xylan)
