Firecrater

1legonutt · Oct 7, 2013

Can somebody define that word I am looking at buying a piston and sleeve set any knowledge that can be passed along will be appreciated thanks . Rob

David G · Oct 7, 2013

Firecrater pistons.

Carter Gruenwald has them.

This site has domed pistons, I do not know if they are the same.

mkirsch · Oct 7, 2013

The pistons have a raised area on the top for more compression and more power. Stock pistons are flat, shaped like a soup can.

"Firecrater" was the trade name for a particular brand of pistons. Possibly M&W?

People use it nowadays to describe pretty much any "dome top" piston. Kinda like "Kleenex" means any kind of snot rag.

Most replacement pistons today are the "dome top" type.

Super A · Oct 7, 2013

Firecrater pistons were made by IH.

Al

D Slater · Oct 7, 2013

firecrater was a IH name for pistons they made or got from there piston supplier at the time as replacements for several of there engines. Several types were used depending on the engine, combustion chamber shape or altitude intended for. They were designed to give more power than standard pistons. Although the compression was raised over standard in most engines some of the Step head pistons for 8,000 Ft. could give more.
Some of the piston and sleeve firecrater kits were sold with parts to change the carburetor fuel supply and the ignition timing when installed.
Some aftermarket have made or are pistons close to identical to the IH firecraters for some engines. Most are a variant of some type.
Picture is the shape for several engines.
Forgot to say this piston was out of a engine run with to high of a combustion chamber temperature. Cooling system? ignition timing? fuel system or overload. Maybe some coolant in the combustion chamber also.

Owen Aaland · Oct 7, 2013

FireCraters were originally made by Zollner Corp. in Fort Wayne, IN. You can tell the Zollner pistons because of the Z cast into the inside of the piston. That plant closed in 2009. I have no idea who makes them for CNH today.

Fred Zollner that started Zollner Corporation to manufacture pistons is the same guy that founded the Detroit Pistons NBA team.

pete 23 · Oct 7, 2013

It's in the "crater". That is what the word means. Just a special designed swirl pattern that IH had developed for their new line of gasoline engines like 706 and they added to their line of replacement pistons for obsolete model gasoline engines. It will develop a little more horse power with the same comp ratio a straight step head piston will develop. It also came in high altitude versions and we did use some of them on the old tractors with distillate heads to get them to approximate std gasoline head comp ratio. Lot of different mfgs make them now days.

gene bender · Oct 7, 2013

There are several types of domed pistons on the market today some have more of a dome than others also design is different depends on who made them. RED POWER seem to have the greatest dome ive seen

Anonymous-0 · Oct 8, 2013

I have a full set of 4 firecraters, just like the photo posted on here. Came out of a 1950 Farmall M.

Firecrater

1legonutt

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David G

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mkirsch

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Super A

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D Slater

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Owen Aaland

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pete 23

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gene bender

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Anonymous-0

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