NPR pistons and rings.. Reliable?

[505turboman]

Hey guys I've been trying to research NPR pistons and rings on the forums and online. I've seen ppl installing them on some build up on here but have not written any kind of feed back, that I saw anyways, on how this brand performs. I want to know how long they last what kind of boosting they can take and so on.

I ask cause my spare engine which I'm getting ready to tear down due to burning a ton if oil out of piston number six. I'm not saying the the burning oil is the rings but If it happens to be the piston rings I don't want to spend a ton of money on just rings. This engine will be my daily and not see any major boost or power nothing over 400wrhp anyways. Till my next build up is finished.

Thanks for your input!

 

[Trent]

I have heard resonably good things about them, but my experience with them has not been good.

My motor that I just took apart last week had been run under 400 miles by the previous owner and this was a new rebuild with these pistons. No overheating, overboosting, etc. It wasn't even broken in yet. The motor was dumping oil into the Intercooler and plumbing and had zero compression in #1.

When we took it apart, we found all the cross hatching to be there and good, but then took out the #1 piston and was pretty surprised at what we saw:

That is the piston area between the rings literally breaking off into pieces after we removed it from the block. The other 5 aren't as bad, but broken as well. This could just be a bad batch of pistons, but I'm glad I have a brand new 7M shortblock sitting on the floor waiting to go in the car so I don't have to deal with this mess. I have heard of plenty of people having good luck with those pistons, but I can't say I feel too confident in them after this.

 

[505turboman]

Wow that's nuts good info. Thanks for the pics too! I guess it's more like a 50/50 chance then?

 

[CyFi6]

I wouldn't trust them. Seen a lot of people with broken ringlands just like the above post. In most cases it is probably caused by a faulty tune, but they seem to be weaker than OEM pistons from what I have seen.

 

[BrandonW]

im running them .5 over, 11k on them so far, no smoke and no oil loss

only hp mods are apexi intake, catless turbo back exhaust, ic and pipes 57trim ct26

i'll also say i got them from driftmotion and not ebay

i think around the time i bought them there were possible knock offs of them where the seal on the box didnt have the reflective tape on them (shown in the pic, the box with the rings if you can tell by the pic)

 

[505turboman]

I wouldn't trust them. Seen a lot of people with broken ringlands just like the above post. In most cases it is probably caused by a faulty tune, but they seem to be weaker than OEM pistons from what I have seen.

Yeah and they're really cheap price wise and I was thinking too good to be true.

Speaking of driftmotion. How about the probe pistons?

11k is pretty good considering you don't have a tune right?

And to add info for you guys. I'll be keeping some of my mods that I used for the last motor on.

3" full exhaust back with a waste gate screamer pipe
Lexus amf
12v 255lph pump
K&n intake
3" aluminum radiator
HKS ssqv bov

Like I said I this engine will not be my heavy hitter so to speak so I will not be upping my boost

 

[BrandonW]

no, no tune atm have a wideband and boost gauge/controller i believe what im going to do next is the lex afm, 550's and a safc ect. to get good power out of the 57 trim without pushing the turbo to hard right now fuel cut is keeping me safe but i can still have fun, still spin tires without dropping the clutch

i think they are fine but maybe i just got lucky or lucky so far

i believe there were issues (maybe corrected now) with the probe pistons i'd read up on them first is you go that route

 

[jake8790]

IIRC there is a member on here running them with over 500rwhp, they are supposed to be as good as stock pistons. I'm working on a ~350rwhp build on my daily driver 7M and plan on using them.

Trent, what were the specs on your engine?

 

[IJ.]

I have heard resonably good things about them, but my experience with them has not been good.

My motor that I just took apart last week had been run under 400 miles by the previous owner and this was a new rebuild with these pistons. No overheating, overboosting, etc. It wasn't even broken in yet. The motor was dumping oil into the Intercooler and plumbing and had zero compression in #1.

When we took it apart, we found all the cross hatching to be there and good, but then took out the #1 piston and was pretty surprised at what we saw:

That is the piston area between the rings literally breaking off into pieces after we removed it from the block. The other 5 aren't as bad, but broken as well. This could just be a bad batch of pistons, but I'm glad I have a brand new 7M shortblock sitting on the floor waiting to go in the car so I don't have to deal with this mess. I have heard of plenty of people having good luck with those pistons, but I can't say I feel too confident in them after this.

What were the End Gaps set to?

 

[Trent]

Specs on motor were not given to me as I got this motor 2nd hand from someone else. From the looks of it, it was just a stock rebuild to stock specs, nothing fancy at all. No idea what gaps were set to or anything. I just know it was a stock motor rebuilt by a place up in Arlington TX that I don't think I'd trust again if it were me

 

[IJ.]

LOL it it nipped up a ring or 6 it'd break the ringlands like that, more usual is detonation this is the extra insurance forged pistons buys you can rattle it a few times before destruction, cast not so much