Hidden Secrets of a Formula 1 Piston

All that has to do with the power train, gearbox, clutch, fuels and lubricants, etc. Generally the mechanical side of Formula One.
CMSMJ1
CMSMJ1
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Joined: 25 Sep 2007, 10:51
Location: Chesterfield, United Kingdom

Re: Hidden Secrets of a Formula 1 Piston

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hey guys - stop the bickering please!

There's some interesting posts in this and you guys don't need to be nipping at one another.

Don't like the post - call that out, leave the man out of it.
IMPERATOR REX ANGLORUM

Hoffman900
Hoffman900
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Joined: 13 Oct 2019, 03:02

Re: Hidden Secrets of a Formula 1 Piston

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saviour stivala wrote:
07 Jul 2025, 14:03
Hoffman900 wrote:
07 Jul 2025, 13:30
saviour stivala wrote:
07 Jul 2025, 11:26


Sounds like you are so sure what you're talking about.
Speak for yourself. It reads like AI gibberish and using techno jargon to try to sound smart.

OP literally said that’s not what is happening.
Yes. I speak for myself unlike you echolalia OP (original poster). Having said that, it is a right of yours not to agree with others opinion, but no need to be rude expressing your disagrement.
You presented your information as fact, not opinion.

Not sure if there is a language barrier, but in my world of engineering, you simply do not do that. You see this done ad naseum here and on the F1 stuff “let me tell you what is going on” when in fact most are just pulling information out of thin air.

matthewgrant71
matthewgrant71
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Joined: 30 Jun 2025, 21:31

Re: Hidden Secrets of a Formula 1 Piston

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If you want to get an idea of how tightly packed the rings were on the last of the V8s then take a look at the Cosworth piston here:

https://modatek.co.uk/product/ca2010-formula-1-piston/

There was only one comp ring and one oil control ring. Above the comp ring groove were anti-det bands, and between the two ring grooves was the accumulator groove. The pin bore ate into the land below the oil control ring groove, leaving just enough wall thickness.

I honestly don't think we could have made it any tighter!

vorticism
vorticism
337
Joined: 01 Mar 2022, 20:20

Re: Hidden Secrets of a Formula 1 Piston

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matthewgrant71 wrote:
04 Jul 2025, 16:28
With regards to extending the mileage on the V8, then yes it would be entirely possible, it would just mean compromising the performance. We (Modatek) have several customers who can get to 5,000 km on their V10 and V8 engines.
Cosworth was found in the news over the past few years for their work on the Valkyrie, T.50, Bugatti, and other low production volume road car engines. Would you expect to find anything familiar in these engines? A 2.4 L V8 cylinder is 300 cc while a T.50 cylinder f.e. is 333 cc. Granted the latter also has 2/3 of the operating speed, 50-60% of the hp/L. Would you expect to find any continuity in the work on high endurance NA race engines leading to high power density NA road-going engines?

matthewgrant71
matthewgrant71
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Joined: 30 Jun 2025, 21:31

Re: Hidden Secrets of a Formula 1 Piston

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vorticism wrote:
09 Jul 2025, 01:52
matthewgrant71 wrote:
04 Jul 2025, 16:28
With regards to extending the mileage on the V8, then yes it would be entirely possible, it would just mean compromising the performance. We (Modatek) have several customers who can get to 5,000 km on their V10 and V8 engines.
Cosworth was found in the news over the past few years for their work on the Valkyrie, T.50, Bugatti, and other low production volume road car engines. Would you expect to find anything familiar in these engines? A 2.4 L V8 cylinder is 300 cc while a T.50 cylinder f.e. is 333 cc. Granted the latter also has 2/3 of the operating speed, 50-60% of the hp/L. Would you expect to find any continuity in the work on high endurance NA race engines leading to high power density NA road-going engines?
The knowledge that was learned from the F1 engines would certainly have been useful, but I doubt if there were any parts carried over. The requirements for the road car engine components are completely different. The focus would be on price and manufacturability, which wasn't always the case with F1 parts. Also, there would have been a lot of work on the road car engines to meet emissions standards such as Euro 6 and 7, again something that wasn't a factor for F1.

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Mattchu
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Joined: 07 Jul 2014, 19:37

Re: Hidden Secrets of a Formula 1 Piston

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Your and others post(s) got me intrigued on the design and manufacture of the F1 piston so I did a bit of looking around at the process... :o
This rarely seen bit of the engine really is a work of art and labour with regards to these high end units. You and the rest of the team at Cosworth (and the other engine manufacturers) must have had some super satisfying periods as well as some probably not so.
Many thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience on this forum =D>

I found this video a pretty good watch and may be helpful for others who only know a bit of the workings of an engine, maybe some old colleagues in there as well...