Silv-O-Lite / Keith Black produces four distinct types of pistons for performance engines; the Claimer series, Premium Hypereutectic series, FHR Forged and the Premium Forged. Choosing the best one for you application can save you time and money if some consideration is given to the intended usage of your engine before you start your engine build.

The Claimer series of pistons are currently produced only for small block Chevy applications. These pistons are hypereutectic but they are not T6 heat treated like the premium offerings. These pistons have coated skirts and use a Tru-Arc lockring if using full floating connecting rods. These pistons are great for naturally aspirated engines producing under 400 horsepower. Uses are street/strip, mild bracket and some dirt track classes. The price is very attractive on these and they hold up quite well if used in the right application.  

The Premium Hypereutectic series of pistons are available for a wide array of domestic and import engines. These pistons are T6 heat treated and can take a lot of abuse. The pistons use spiral pin locks when using a full floating connecting rod. These pistons work well in almost all naturally aspirated engines and can be safely used with nitrous kits under 250 horsepower and forced induction of up to 15 pounds of boost. Dollar for dollar, these are some of the best pistons on the market.

The FHR Forged series pistons are available for small block and big block Chevy engines and Windsor style Ford engines. More pistons will be available in the future as this series grows. These pistons are forged from VMS-75 alloy which has a very high silicon content making the piston very hard like it's premium hypereutectic counterpart. These pistons use Tru-Arc lock rings. These forgings are quite strong and can handle a bit more nitrous and boost than the hypereutectics can. We are still testing the limits of this series of piston but we feel that 300 horsepower nitrous or up to 20 pounds of boost would be fine with these pistons.

Finally, the Premium Forged series pistons are made from 2618 aluminum which has a lot of strength while still retaining some elasticity that is required from a serious effort race engine. These pistons are available for most popular race engine combinations and they use spiral lock pin locks. Since these pistons have a lot of expansion, they require a lot of piston to cylinder clearance so they will make some noise when the engine is started cold. These pistons will handle most types of usage but you should contact your engine builder to see if the piston you want will match your needs.

All of the above pistons are excellent pistons used in their rightful place. There is not a good, better, best when selecting your engine components. Sometimes the high dollar part will actually be a worse selection than the lower dollar part so choose wisely. Also, on some applications, you may not find an off the shelf piston to suit your needs and custom pistons are available for those situations.

I hope this helped. If it did, please let us know. If you still have questions, please feel free to contact us for further help.