MAHLE’s New Drop-In Piston Makes For An Easy Forged Piston Upgrade

The GM LS family of engines is the new darling of the industry — taking up where the small-block Chevy left off. While the 6.0L versions are what everybody wants, these engines are not always easy to find or afford. That puts its smaller 5.3L sibling as the new favorite with budget-conscious LS engine builders. So it’s no wonder that the market is asking for a drop-in piston solution.

MAHLE has recently released a new forged piston for the Gen-IV 5.3L engines that is a drop-in replacement that offers numerous advantages. First, this is a forged aluminum 2618 alloy piston but it retains the stock 0.943-inch wrist pin so it can be put into place on stock rods without requiring rebalancing of the rotating assembly — hence the “drop-in piston” name.

There are several benefits to this effort. The lead-off improvement is the thinner 1.0mm/1.0mm/2.0mm ring package that is included with this new forging. While this may not sound like much of an improvement over the OE 1.5mm/1.5mm/3.0mm configuration, this is a 33 percent reduction in ring width that promises reduced friction which means lower oil temperatures, lower cooling system operating temperatures, and perhaps a few extra horsepower. As an added bonus, the Napier second ring promises enhanced oil control.

MAHLE drop in piston for 5.3L LS

MAHLE’s new drop-in replacement forged piston for the 5.3L LS family of engines offers both strength and performance benefits. This is the perfect drop-in piston choice for a power-adder 5.3L package.

This new Mahle forging also includes deeper valve pockets to allow running a more aggressive cam package that increases both lift and duration. Plus, the new valve pockets will also accept up to a 2.00-inch intake and 1.60-inch exhaust valve diameters.
Combine all these enhancements with Mahle’s famous phosphate and Grafal skirt coating and you have a perfect fit to pump the compression on a 5.3L Gen V to 10:1 with drop-in simplicity. We’ve included a list of all the different GM RPO engine codes to make the selection even easier. This newest addition to the Mahle lineup falls under PN 930218900 and is available at any Mahle retainer.

Gen IV 5.3L Engine Codes

LMF              LMG             LH9

LH6              LC9              LS4

LY5               LH8

Article Sources

About the author

Jeff Smith

Jeff Smith, a 35-year veteran of automotive journalism, comes to Power Automedia after serving as the senior technical editor at Car Craft magazine. An Iowa native, Smith served a variety of roles at Car Craft before moving to the senior editor role at Hot Rod and Chevy High Performance, and ultimately returning to Car Craft. An accomplished engine builder and technical expert, he will focus on the tech-heavy content that is the foundation of EngineLabs.
Read My Articles

Late Model LS Power in your inbox.

Build your own custom newsletter with the content you love from LSX Magazine, directly to your inbox, absolutely FREE!

Free WordPress Themes
LSX Magazine NEWSLETTER - SIGN UP FREE!

We will safeguard your e-mail and only send content you request.

LSX Magazine - The Late Model GM Magazine for Camaro

lsxmag

We'll send you the most interesting LSX Magazine articles, news, car features, and videos every week.

LSX Magazine - The Late Model GM Magazine for Camaro

LSX Magazine NEWSLETTER - SIGN UP FREE!

We will safeguard your e-mail and only send content you request.

LSX Magazine - The Late Model GM Magazine for Camaro

lsxmag

Thank you for your subscription.

Subscribe to more FREE Online Magazines!

We think you might like...


chevyhardcore
Classic Chevy Magazine
dragzine
Drag Racing
enginelabs
Engine Tech

LSX Magazine - The Late Model GM Magazine for Camaro

Thank you for your subscription.

Subscribe to more FREE Online Magazines!

We think you might like...

  • chevyhardcore Classic Chevy Magazine
  • dragzine Drag Racing
  • enginelabs Engine Tech

LSX Magazine - The Late Model GM Magazine for Camaro

lsxmag

Thank you for your subscription.

Thank you for your subscription.

LSX Magazine - The Late Model GM Magazine for Camaro

Thank you for your subscription.

Thank you for your subscription.

Loading