engine pistons

jeffsct

New member
Hey all this is my first post here. Am restoring a 1978 model Scout and the engine we have use to run on lpg (we r in australia) however I will be putting it back to normal fuel.my question is the pistons are not flat top but are of a contoured type.does anyone know what type they would be any help would be appreciated thanks.
 
The flat tops were introduced as an emissions improvment in the usa. An original 1978 us model would have an "e" xxx engine number designation where xxx= the displacment and have the flat top, quench design piston and head. Don't know about australia. There is nothing wrong with the contoured piston design. If you have them in your engine you can only go to a flat top design if you change the head to one designed for the flat top. Those heads have a "d" shaped chamber and the contoured head has a more or less round chamber...

My sugesstion is to leave the setup (piston and head) the way it is. It won't matter on the fuel type used... They will be fine...
 
Thanks for that Robert and thanks Jeff for the info from u two will take it on board forgot to mention the engine is a light blue /green colour but we also have another 345 red in colour with the flat top pistons but will rebuild both anyway and like you said will probably make no difference anyway.
 
thanks for that Robert and thanks Jeff for the info from u two will take it on board forgot to mention the engine is a light blue /green colour but we also have another 345 red in colour with the flat top pistons but will rebuild both anyway and like you said will probably make no difference anyway.

G'dday Jeff, IH australia built engines there too,had their own foundry etc and built loads of these for the acco trucks etc. I have a feeling most of the aus engines were low compression with the contour piston. Does your engine number have "lc" after it by any chance???. Is your Scout built in aus or usa???
 
Thanks guys for your answers .it turns out that we have 2 motors a red 1 with flat top pistons seized and a blue 1 with contoured pistons which came out of the Scout we r doing up.what we can deduce is the blue 1 is a truck motor which is marked 345 lc ,low compression.anyway the heads have been done up a bit on the blue 1 so if okay we will put that back into the Scout if necessary till we find another motor.
 
g'dday Jeff, IH australia built engines there too,had their own foundry etc and built loads of these for the acco trucks etc. I have a feeling most of the aus engines were low compression with the contour piston. Does your engine number have "lc" after it by any chance???. Is your Scout built in aus or usa???

Thanks for your reply the engine has lc after it and is blue in colour.so we think is out of a truck as the oil dipstick is in the block near the fuel pump .not sure if my Scout built in america or here.will check up on that learning lots though cheers.
 
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