Description
How would you like an actual Cosworth Formula 1 piston to display in your home or office? We have for sale one of the actual pistons that was fitted to the Cosworth CK engine in 2002, raced by the Arrows Grand Prix Formula 1 team in their final season.
Cosworth CK Engine
The CK engine was active in Formula 1 from 1999 to 2003. Designed and manufactured initially for Stewart Grand Prix in 1999, the CK engine represented a change in design philosophy from Cosworth as they sought to reestablish themselves as the top F1 engine manufacturer. The CK engine included numerous departures from previous Formula 1 engine designs, leading to what was possibly the lightest engine on the grid. By 2002, the CK was capable of speeds of up to 18,300 rpm with power in excess of 850 bhp.
Following a race-winning debut season with Stewart Grand Prix, the CK engine went on to power the team, now branded as Jaguar Racing, until the middle of 2002. A customer-spec version of the CK engine was supplied to Arrows Grand Prix in 2002 and to Minardi for the following year.
Cosworth Formula 1 Piston
The piston was perhaps the most highly-stressed component in the engine. It had to withstand huge forces over a sustained period of time. At speeds of 18,300 rpm the piston moved up and down 300 times per second. That’s 30 times in the blink of an eye! Despite the incredible forces that it had to endure, it also had to be as light as possible.
The CK piston drew on Cosworth’s vast experience in piston design, and contained several important design features. For example, a single compression ring replaced the traditional top and second compression rings. The undercrown received additional machining to remove excess material, with buttresses whittled away to the bare minimum. The skirts were xylan-coated to give additional wear resistance and friction reduction.
This actual piston was used in the early part of the 2002 Formula 1 season. It was fitted to one of the engines that was used by the Arrows Grand Prix team in their A23 chassis, powering drivers Heinz-Harold Frentzen and Enrique Bernoldi. Sadly, this would turn out to be the final season for the team after 25 years in Formula 1, so this piston is a particularly poignant memorabilia item.
Details:
- Diameter = 91 mm
- Height = 36 mm
- Weight = 235 g
- Material = High strength aluminium alloy