CP Carrillo FAQ

In order to build and maintain integrity for CP-CARRILLO and CP-CARRILLO’s brand equity by emphasizing the value and quality of CP-CARRILLO’s products through advertising and marketing, CP-CARRILLO, has established a Minimum Advertised Price (MAP) Policy that an authorized reseller has to follow for the advertising and marketing of CP-CARRILLO products.

ALL advertised prices must be at or above MAP for CP-CARRILLO products if a MAP price has been established by CP-CARRILLO. CP-CARRILLO reserves the right to modify its MAP policy at any time without notice. Resellers of CP-CARRILLO products are not required to list prices in advertising; however, if a price is listed, it must be at or above MAP. Other statements such as “call for price” or “call for quote” are acceptable and permitted. Resellers are responsible for ensuring their pricing is at or above MAP on Internet search engines. Authorized resellers are also required to ensure MAP compliance among their resellers to avoid a MAP violation. CP-Carrillo’s sales staff are not permitted to make agreements or grant exceptions to resellers regarding MAP. CP-CARRILLO’s MAP policy applies to advertising placements, including but not limited to: print ads (inserts, magazines, newspapers, catalogs, mail order catalogs, etc.), broadcast (radio and TV), direct mail, faxes, Internet placements with third parties (banner ads, broadcast emails, destination pages, third-party sites), Internet placements on resellers own website, and any flyers, posters or coupons.

Pricing listed on an Internet site is considered “advertised price” and must adhere to CP-CARRILLO’s MAP policy until the product is placed in the “virtual shopping cart." Displaying any information that indicates or hints that a price below MAP may be found in a virtual shopping cart at checkout will be considered a violation of CP-Carrillo’s MAP policy.

Resellers are permitted to advertise CP-CARRILLO products with price “mark-outs” or “mark-throughs”, provided the price reflected on the advertisement is at or above the MAP.

CP-CARRILLO’s MAP Policy does allow resellers to omit pricing entirely from advertisement and/or ad statements such as “Call for Price” or “Call for Quote.”

Free shipping and/or handling, 0% sales tax, or free financing promotions do not violate the MAP.

Price matching policies are acceptable; however, they cannot be used as a valid reason for violations of CP-CARRILLO’s MAP policy. Advertised price must always be at MAP or higher.

When CP-CARROLLO products are sold with products from another manufacturer in one listing, CP-CARRILLO does not consider the MSRP of the other items. For example, if CP-pistons are being sold with X-brand connecting rods, the advertised price for the listing must be at or above CP-CARRILLO’s MAP price for the pistons to avoid a MAP violation.

The first violation of MAP will result in a warning, and a seven-day period to comply with the warning. Further intentional and/or repeated failure to abide by CP-CARRILLO’s MAP Policy, at the discretion of CP-CARRILLO, can result in the loss of authorization status and the ability to participate in marketing programs, access and funding, including but not limited to:

• Pricing status
• Advertising or marketing reimbursement, co-op, or other CP-CARRILLO funds.
• Reseller representative sales incentives (i.e., SPIFs, EZbucks or other additional sales contests or promotions).
• Ability to receive special pricing.

CP-Carrillo also reserves the right to discontinue business with the reseller in violation at any time and without notice, as well as cancel any orders that an uncooperative reseller may have in progress.

• Automotive - 5% above Dealer Pricing
• Powersports - 5% below Dealer/Retail Pricing

Shelf orders are normally shipped same day via United Parcel Service if submitted by 2:00 PM Pacific Standard Time. Next Day Air, 2nd Day, 3 Day Select and ground service are available. Customer assumes responsibility for all freight charges. All Drop shipments will incur a $10.00 fee. An additional $10.00 charge will be added for all non-UPS International shipments.

All returns are subject to a 15% restocking fee. Returns must be made within 90 days and in new unused condition. All returns require a Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) number. We will only accept returns purchased directly from CP-Carrillo with the original invoice number and date for each item returned for credit. Custom parts or orders are not returnable.

We accept Cashiers Check, Company Check (Upon Approval), Visa and Master Card. Initial custom orders require a 50% deposit prior to order processing. Acceptable methods of payment for international orders may be made by credit card or by wire transfer. Please ask your sales representative for details. All orders will be charged the applicable sales tax, unless a completed resale card is submitted and on file. A $30 fee will be charged for each returned check. A 1.5% per month finance charge will apply for all balances over 30 days.

Due to the nature of high performance applications, CP-Carrillo products are sold without warranty of merchantability or fitness or purpose, express or implied.  CP-Carrillo shall not under any circumstances, be liable for any special, incidental, or consequential damages, including, but not limited to, damages or loss of other property of equipment, loss of profits or revenue, cost of purchased or replaced goods, or claims of customers of the purchaser which may arise and/or result from the sales, installation or use of these parts”. CP-Carrillo reserves the right to make product improvements/changes without notice and without incurring liability with respect to similar products previously manufactured.

CP-Carrillo Non-Disclosure Agreement

Technological advances are constantly made in the high performance engine business; many components that are adequate today will be outdated and unacceptable tomorrow. For this reason, we at CP-Carrillo are continually testing our products to assure our customers that we offer the highest quality products. CP-Carrillo's enviable reputation in the industry has led competitors throughout the world to copy our design. Watch for counterfeits. These imitations do not employ our sophisticated methods of certification and inspection. Consequently, these parts cannot approach the high quality component that CP-Carrillo produces. Our obligation to the high performance engine business is that only the finest quality materials, workmanship and inspection procedures are documented and accepted. This is our guarantee to you, our customer.

We seek to become the go-to partner for all customers in relentless pursuit of performance. Their constantly evolving requirements provide a challenging and meaningful workplace for us. Beyond compliance, we want to contribute to a sustainable future.

We guarantee the quality of the steel and aluminum, the forging, the heat treat process, and the dimensional sizes. We have no control over the assembly or customer modification of our parts in the engine. There are no further guarantees either expressed or implied by CP- Carrillo or any of their agents or representatives. CP-Carrillo reserves the right to alter the design or initiate product changes without incurring liability or obligation with respect to similar products previously manufactured by this concern.

CP-Carrillo Quality Assurance Agreement

Both CP-CARRILLO and BULLET are high quality forged pistons, made from 2618-T61 Alloy. CP-Carrillo pistons are designed for high performance racing engines and are available for many "race specific" applications. Additionally, CP-Carrillo can be custom made in as little as 3 days to your specification. BULLET Series Pistons are large production runs on centralized manufacturing cells made from dedicated “Bullet” forgings. An application specific forging, as well as manufacturing in larger quantities reduces machining time. We pass the savings on to you, offering a more economically priced part, made on the same machines as a traditional CP!

In addition, the BULLET Series features a quality 1.2mm, 1.5mm, 3.0mm ring package and includes Chromoloy wrist pins with wirelocks. The 1.2mm carbon steel nitrided top ring is extremely durable and offers reduced friction over 1.5mm and 1/16" top rings. A 1.5mm Napier (hooked face) 2nd ring is used to improve oil control over conventional taper-faced rings.

For use with our CPN and CPN2 piston rings, we recommend plateau honing with a cylinder bore cross hatch angle of 35-40 degrees.>/p>

To reach this roughness, the manufacturers of honing machines and accessories recommend using for a gray cast iron engine block and Nikasil cylinders.

• Conventional stones #220 - #280 grit or
• Diamond stones #325 - #550 grit

After honing with either the conventional or diamond stone, the same manufacturers suggest to finish your honing by smoothing the surface with a fine grit conventional abrasive (#400 - #600 grit) or to sweep the bores with a flexible brush or a nylon bristle plateau honing tool. This is necessary to get rid of jagged peaks and folded or torn material.

Important Notice

Be sure to confirm with your honing equipment manufacturer that the recommended stone grit will produce the following Rz and Ra roughness recommendations.

Rz = 59 - 138 µ in [=1.5 – 3.5 µm] or Ra = 15 - 35 µ in [=0.4 – 0.9 µm]

Please click here to download "Cylinder Honing Recommendations" (pdf - 71KB)

The following are guidelines for ring installation. Certain applications may require different clearances. Consult the enclosed charts and diagrams before installing rings.

Please click here to download "Ring Installation Instructions" (pdf - 300KB)

Due to the wide variance of expansion rates typical of power adders (nitrous, turbos, etc.), air cooled versus water cooled, marine applications, etc., it can be difficult or impossible to give ring end gap recommendations that will be accurate across the board. Please be aware that the information provided is only a guideline and that any concerns should be addressed with your engine builder. All information is provided in inches of ring gap per inch of bore. EXAMPLE: A recommended ring gap of .0040 per inch on a motor with a 4.000 inch bore would yield a ring end gap of .016 inches as .0040 x 4.000 = .016

DOMESTIC AUTOMOTIVE: Normally Aspirated (no power adders) up to 600hp.

• Top Ring = .0045 - .0050 per inch of bore
• Second Ring = .0050 -.0055
• Oil Rings – Actual gap = .015-.050

DOMESTIC AUTOMOTIVE: Normally Aspirated over 600hp and turbo/nitrous applications below 750hp.

• Top Ring = .0050 - .0055
• Second Ring = .0055 - .0060
• Oil Rings – Actual Gap = .015 -.050

DOMESTIC AUTOMOTIVE: Turbo/Nitrous applications above 750hp.

• Top Ring = .0060 - .0070
• Second Ring = .0070 - .0080
• Oil Ring – Actual Gap = .015 - .050

SPORT COMPACT: Normally Aspirated to 300hp

• Top Ring = .0040 - .0050
• Second Ring = .0045 - .0055
• Oil Ring – Actual Gap = .015 -.050

SPORT COMPACT: Turbo/Nitrous applications to 450 - 750hp

• Top Ring = .0050 - .0055
• Second Ring = .0055 - .0060
• Oil Ring – Actual Gap = .015 - .050

POWERSPORTS: Normally Aspirated

• Top Ring = .0040 -.0045
• Second Ring = .0045 - .0050
• Oil Ring – Actual Gap = .015 - .050

POWERSPORTS: Turbo/Nitrous applications

• Top Ring = .0045 - .0050
• Second Ring = .0050-.0055
• Oil Ring – Actual Gap = .015 -.050

Neither. What you have is a 2-ring piston designed to utilize the top and oil rings ONLY. Simply throw away your second ring and install as normal. NOTE: If you see a V-shaped groove below the top ring groove, that’s actually an Accumulator Groove and you can’t put a ring in it.

No, OEM rings will not fit; you would have to get another CP ring set.

See figure 1. Assuming your top and second rings are of different thicknesses you can simply measureyour rings and compare them to the groove dimensions. (SEE DRAWING) In instances where the top and second rings are of the same thickness the top ring will generally be of a shiny silver/copper color whereas the second ring will be of a dark grey or black coloring. Both rings will normally be marked with a dot(.), number, or letter that will aid in determining which side of the ring will face up toward the dome of the piston.

If the rings don’t have a dot or letter to mark “up”, check the ID of the ring and they should be beveled. The inner beveled edge of the top ring will face up towards the cylinder head, and the inner beveled edge of the second ring will face down towards the crank.

Additionally, some second rings will have a tapered hook groove on the OD. This hooked edge will face downward as its function is to scrape oil back down into the crank case. See Figure 4

In the rare instance that you receive a ring with no designation, though it could mean the ring manufacturer has determined that it will work effectively either way, we recommend that you contact us for clarification.

All of our oil rings for 4-stroke applications utilize a 3-piece design which consists of two thin oil rings separated by an expander (wavy) ring.

PLEASE NOTE: DO NOT ALTER YOUR EXPANDER. Oil ring gap specifications are for the top and bottom rails only! Oil ring expanders are designed to butt against each other and when installed along with the rails allow the ring to have the correct tension when seated in the cylinder.

You may also have a piston that requires the use of a rail support, that rail will have a dimple to prevent rotation.

You don’t, we do. Attempting to alter the ring groove(s) of your CP piston could severely compromise the integrity of the part. The good news - if you have the correct rings and your piston is in good condition there should be no reason to alter the ring grooves.

Sample FAQ Answer

With respect to images, data and documents available from this web site, NEITHER CP-CARRILLO.COM NOR ANY OF ITS AUTHORS MAKES ANY WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR ASSUMES ANY LEGAL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS, OR USEFULNESS OF ANY INFORMATION, APPARATUS, PRODUCT, OR PROCESS DISCLOSED, OR REPRESENTS THAT ITS USE WOULD NOT INFRINGE PRIVATELY OWNED RIGHTS. NEITHER CP-CARRILLO.COM NOR ITS AUTHORS SHALL BE LIABLE IN ANY WAY FOR LOSS OR DAMAGE, OF ANY KIND, TO YOU, OR ANY OTHER PERSON, FOR ANY INACCURACY, ERROR, OMISSION OR DELAY IN ANY INFORMATION POSTED OR OTHERWISE TRANSMITTED OVER CP- CARRILLO.COM.

CP-Carrillo collects and uses your personal information to operate the CP-Carrillo Web site and deliver the services you have requested. CP-Carrillo also uses your personally identifiable information to inform you of other products or services available from CP-Carrillo and its affiliates. CP-Carrillo may also contact you via surveys to conduct research about your opinion of current services or of potential new services that may be offered.

CP-Carrillo does not sell, rent or lease its customer lists to third parties. CP-Carrillo may, from time to time, contact you on behalf of external business partners about a particular offering that may be of interest to you. In those cases, your unique personally identifiable information (e-mail, name, address, telephone number) is not transferred to the third party. In addition, CP-Carrillo may share data with trusted partners to help us perform statistical analysis, send you email or postal mail, provide customer support, or arrange for deliveries. All such third parties are prohibited from using your personal information except to provide these services to CP-Carrillo, and they are required to maintain the confidentiality of your information.

CP-Carrillo does not use or disclose sensitive personal information, such as race, religion, or political affiliations, without your explicit consent.

CP-Carrillo keeps track of the Web sites and pages our customers visit within CP-Carrillo, in order to determine what CP-Carrillo services are the most popular. This data is used to deliver customized content and advertising within CP-Carrillo to customers whose behavior indicates that they are interested in a particular subject area.

CP-Carrillo Web sites will disclose your personal information, without notice, only if required to do so by law or in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to: (a) conform to the edicts of the law or comply with legal process served on CP-Carrillo or the site; (b) protect and defend the rights or property of CP-Carrillo; and, (c) act under exigent circumstances to protect the personal safety of users of CP-Carrillo, or the public.

The CP-Carrillo Web site use "cookies" to help you personalize your online experience. A cookie is a text file that is placed on your hard disk by a Web page server. Cookies cannot be used to run programs or deliver viruses to your computer. Cookies are uniquely assigned to you, and can only be read by a web server in the domain that issued the cookie to you.

One of the primary purposes of cookies is to provide a convenience feature to save you time. The purpose of a cookie is to tell the Web server that you have returned to a specific page. For example, if you personalize CP-Carrillo pages, or register with CP-Carrillo site or services, a cookie helps CP-Carrillo to recall your specific information on subsequent visits. This simplifies the process of recording your personal information, such as billing addresses, shipping addresses, and so on. When you return to the same CP-Carrillo Web site, the information you previously provided can be retrieved, so you can easily use the CP-Carrillo features that you customized.

You have the ability to accept or decline cookies. Most Web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser setting to decline cookies if you prefer. If you choose to decline cookies, you may not be able to fully experience the interactive features of the CP-Carrillo services or Web sites you visit.

CP-Carrillo secures your personal information from unauthorized access, use or disclosure. CP-Carrillo secures the personally identifiable information you provide on computer servers in a controlled, secure environment, protected from unauthorized access, use or disclosure. When personal information (such as a credit card number) is transmitted to other Web sites, it is protected through the use of encryption, such as the Secure Socket Layer (SSL) protocol.

All images used are for illustrative purposes only. Individual features such as part numbers, colors and other visual markings may be different from product shown and are subject to change as necessary and without notice. Images are indicative of the quality and style of the specification and may not represent wholly the actual product. Images are intended to give a general indication of the product only. Please ask our sales team for further details specific to product. All images and dimensions are not intended to form part of any contract or warranty.

CP-Carrillo welcomes your comments regarding this Statement of Privacy. If you believe that CP-Carrillo has not adhered to this Statement, please contact CP-Carrillo atsupport@pivocom.com. We will use commercially reasonable efforts to promptly determine and remedy the problem.

CP-Carrillo will occasionally update this Statement of Privacy to reflect company and customer feedback. CP-Carrillo encourages you to periodically review this Statement to be informed of how CP-Carrillo is protecting your information.

CP-Carrillo collects personally identifiable information, such as your e-mail address, name, home or work address or telephone number. CP-Carrillo also collects anonymous demographic information, which is not unique to you, such as your ZIP code, age, gender, preferences, interests and favorites.

There is also information about your computer hardware and software that is automatically collected by CP-Carrillo. This information can include: your IP address, browser type, domain names, access times and referring Web site addresses. This information is used by CP-Carrillo for the operation of the service, to maintain quality of the service, and to provide general statistics regarding use of the CP-Carrillo Web site.

Please keep in mind that if you directly disclose personally identifiable information or personally sensitive data through CP-Carrillo public message boards, this information may be collected and used by others. Note: CP-Carrillo does not read any of your private online communications.

CP-Carrillo encourages you to review the privacy statements of Web sites you choose to link to from CP-Carrillo so that you can understand how those Web sites collect, use and share your information. CP-Carrillo is not responsible for the privacy statements or other content on Web sites outside of the CP-Carrillo and CP-Carrillo family of Web sites.

Online orders will be shipped based on the customers choice at checkout. We (do not) ship to P.O. boxes. Please contact us if you are interested in an expedited shipping on your order.

We (do not) ship outside of the USA.

We (do not) ship to Alaska and Hawaii.

Shipping delay can occur when the wrong address or zip code is submitted for the shipping address. If the shipping company can not deliver the package we will contact you via phone or email.

During the holiday season shipping delivery may vary.

If an item needs to be returned the shipping fees are the customer's responsibility.

Amount of refund will be based on the purchase price of your product.

Neither. What you have is a 2-ring piston designed to utilize the top and oil rings ONLY. Simply throw away your second ring and install as normal. NOTE: If you see a V-shaped groove below the top ring groove, that’s actually an Accumulator Groove and you can’t put a ring in it.

CP-CARRILLO and BULLET include double Spiral locks with most off-the-shelf pistons. Most shelf pistons that are designed to use Spiral locks utilize 2 per side (4 per piston). For instance, an 8 cylinder motor would come with 32 Spiral Locks whereas a 4 cylinder would only come with 16.  Wire locks only require one per side (2 per piston).

Contact your WD or send your name and address to sales@cp-carrillo.com and we will put a decal package in the mail for you.

Lateral gas ports are channels drilled at the bottom of the top ring land that assist in ring seal. These channels allow combustion gasses to enter behind the top ring and improve ring seal by forcing the ring against the cylinder wall during combustion. Gas ports are most commonly used with back cut rings, which have less friction and better performance characteristics.

Both CP-CARRILLO and BULLET are high quality forged pistons, made from 2618-T61 Alloy. CP-Carrillo pistons are designed for high performance racing engines and are available for many "race specific" applications. Additionally, CP-Carrillo can be custom made in as little as 3 days to your specification. BULLET Series Pistons are large production runs on centralized manufacturing cells made from dedicated “Bullet” forgings. An application specific forging, as well as manufacturing in larger quantities reduces machining time. We pass the savings on to you, offering a more economically priced part, made on the same machines as a traditional CP!

In addition, the BULLET Series features a quality 1.2mm, 1.5mm, 3.0mm ring package and includes Chromoloy wrist pins with wirelocks. The 1.2mm carbon steel nitrided top ring is extremely durable and offers reduced friction over 1.5mm and 1/16" top rings. A 1.5mm Napier (hooked face) 2nd ring is used to improve oil control over conventional taper-faced rings.

Based upon a few different variables, cam / barrel shape is the curvature built into the piston to insure the correct amount and rate of expansion. As the motor approaches operating temperature, the cam insures that the aluminum piston and the aluminum/ steel/ cast iron cylinder all achieve optimum operating temperature / shape at the same time.

X-Style forgings are designed to minimize friction and reduce weight without compromising strength. With the use of bracing and ribs, the forging is configured by adjusting the weight balance between high and low stress areas. This design enables the use of a shorter pin for added strength and weight savings.

See figure 5

They are designed to directly replace standard wire locks with no additional machining to the pistons and will not rotate in the lock groove. Click here for more information

Billet parts originate as solid blocks of aluminum and are normally used in the rare instances when forgings cannot produce the optimum design.

Due to the wide variance of expansion rates typical of power adders (nitrous, turbos, etc.), air cooled versus water cooled, marine applications, etc., it can be difficult or impossible to give ring end gap recommendations that will be accurate across the board. Please be aware that the information provided is only a guideline and that any concerns should be addressed with your engine builder. All information is provided in inches of ring gap per inch of bore. EXAMPLE: A recommended ring gap of .0040 per inch on a motor with a 4.000 inch bore would yield a ring end gap of .016 inches as .0040 x 4.000 = .016

DOMESTIC AUTOMOTIVE: Normally Aspirated (no power adders) up to 600hp.

• Top Ring = .0045 - .0050 per inch of bore
• Second Ring = .0050 -.0055
• Oil Rings – Actual gap = .015-.050

DOMESTIC AUTOMOTIVE: Normally Aspirated over 600hp and turbo/nitrous applications below 750hp.

• Top Ring = .0050 - .0055
• Second Ring = .0055 - .0060
• Oil Rings – Actual Gap = .015 -.050

DOMESTIC AUTOMOTIVE: Turbo/Nitrous applications above 750hp.

• Top Ring = .0060 - .0070
• Second Ring = .0070 - .0080
• Oil Ring – Actual Gap = .015 - .050

SPORT COMPACT: Normally Aspirated to 300hp

• Top Ring = .0040 - .0050
• Second Ring = .0045 - .0055
• Oil Ring – Actual Gap = .015 -.050

SPORT COMPACT: Turbo/Nitrous applications to 450 - 750hp

• Top Ring = .0050 - .0055
• Second Ring = .0055 - .0060
• Oil Ring – Actual Gap = .015 - .050

POWERSPORTS: Normally Aspirated

• Top Ring = .0040 -.0045
• Second Ring = .0045 - .0050
• Oil Ring – Actual Gap = .015 - .050

POWERSPORTS: Turbo/Nitrous applications

• Top Ring = .0045 - .0050
• Second Ring = .0050-.0055
• Oil Ring – Actual Gap = .015 -.050

Your pistons should have come with a Spec Sheet that will have the recommended piston to cylinder wall clearance written on it, as well as where the piston should be measured. As always, you’ll want to consult with your engine builder to verify whether that is the correct clearance for your application. NOTE: You cannot accurately measure your piston to wall clearance by sliding a flat feeler gauge into a round hole next to an elliptical object (piston).

EXAMPLE: Bore = 3.898 / Piston measurement at gauge point = 3.895 / Remaining piston to cylinder wall clearance = .0030

If any form of model is provided (old piston, mold, cylinder head or 3D CAD model) for manufacturing new pistons, please make sure you take the following steps to ensure a proper sample is received:

If sending a piston sample, make sure it is clean and piston sample needs to be the least damaged out of the set, remove all rings, locks and wristpins.

If you are sending a Mold from cylinder head this mold needs to be made out of a hard material (e.g. Bondo ®) and should include “X” and “Y” centerlines (representing the bore CL) and backside of mold needs to be completely flat.

If sending a Cylinder head include gasket, valves, spark plug, dowel pins (if possible) and please remove valve springs. CAD 3D models are also an excellent source of information and often times more convenient, talk to your CP-Carrillo salesman for the appropriate file type. For any other types of models/samples please talk to your CP-Carrillo salesman for proper instructions before sending samples.

No, OEM rings will not fit; you would have to get another CP ring set.

The required ring end gap varies for each application. A spec sheet/ installation sheet is included with piston and ring orders to help you determine the proper ring end gap. Click here to download the form. If you have further questions, please contact our technical sales department at 949-567-9000

This value depends on the engine and piston part number. CP-CARRILLO and BULLET Pistons are designed with valve pocket depths to fit most popular camshafts. We strongly recommend checking your piston to valve clearance during assembly.

It depends on the level of customization. We can make custom pistons in as short as 3 days, but the engineering part can take longer. Custom piston turnaround can vary at different times of the year. We do offer an expedite service for rush jobs but you’ll want to contact your distributor/engine builder for further information. Please keep in mind that certain operations/features must be sent out for processing and CP/Carrillo cannot be held responsible in those circumstances.

Send your name, mailing address, phone number and indicate which catalog type you like (Automotive/Marine or Powersport) you'd like to receive to sales@cp-carrillo.com or call 949-567-9000 and we are happy to send you one.

Each CP-CARRILLO and BULLET Series Piston kits include a piston spec sheet with a piston to wall clearance recommendation. Always measure CP-CARRILLO and BULLET Series Pistons at the recommended gauge point, usually .500" up from the bottom of the skirt or where otherwise indicated on the spec sheet. Subtract this dimension from your finished bore size to determine your piston-to- wall clearance. If you have further questions, please contact our technical sales department at 949-567- 9000

See figure 1. Assuming your top and second rings are of different thicknesses you can simply measureyour rings and compare them to the groove dimensions. (SEE DRAWING) In instances where the top and second rings are of the same thickness the top ring will generally be of a shiny silver/copper color whereas the second ring will be of a dark grey or black coloring. Both rings will normally be marked with a dot(.), number, or letter that will aid in determining which side of the ring will face up toward the dome of the piston.

If the rings don’t have a dot or letter to mark “up”, check the ID of the ring and they should be beveled. The inner beveled edge of the top ring will face up towards the cylinder head, and the inner beveled edge of the second ring will face down towards the crank.

Additionally, some second rings will have a tapered hook groove on the OD. This hooked edge will face downward as its function is to scrape oil back down into the crank case. See Figure 4

In the rare instance that you receive a ring with no designation, though it could mean the ring manufacturer has determined that it will work effectively either way, we recommend that you contact us for clarification.

All of our oil rings for 4-stroke applications utilize a 3-piece design which consists of two thin oil rings separated by an expander (wavy) ring.

PLEASE NOTE: DO NOT ALTER YOUR EXPANDER. Oil ring gap specifications are for the top and bottom rails only! Oil ring expanders are designed to butt against each other and when installed along with the rails allow the ring to have the correct tension when seated in the cylinder.

You may also have a piston that requires the use of a rail support, that rail will have a dimple to prevent rotation.

How do I identify my CP-CARRILLO or BULLET Pistons?

You don’t, we do. Attempting to alter the ring groove(s) of your CP piston could severely compromise the integrity of the part. The good news - if you have the correct rings and your piston is in good condition there should be no reason to alter the ring grooves.

If you are interested in becoming a dealer, please complete a dealer application form located here. Email completed to sales@cp-carrillo.com or fax 949-567-9010

While our custom parts are generally made in a 4 piece minimum order, shelf parts may be purchased as singles. We also stock replacement hardware for all of our shelf parts and most customs.

Yes, we can coat our pistons per request.

CP-CARRILLO stocks a complete line of piston rings for your shelf and custom piston orders. All BULLET Series and CP-CARRILLO Sport Compact shelf piston kits include rings. Most CP-CARRILLO Powersports piston kits include rings as well.

We don’t sell retail, but we have a list of established distributors that stock and advertise our products on our website.

Yes all of our parts all are forged. All CP-CARRILLO and BULLET Series pistons are forged for maximum strength and durability. We predominantly use 2618-T61 and some 4032.

4032 is a high silica (glass sand) content material that has good scuff resistance and allows tighter piston to wall clearances, however this is at the expense of strength. The greater the silica content, the more brittle the material, so 4032 does not lend itself well to high cyl. pressure applications such as those found in Super charged, Turbo charged, or Nitrous Oxide applications, with relatively light piston weights. 4032 has been used in some low boost applications in OEM and in some high boost diesel applications, but the pistons are much thicker and heavier than there 2618 counter parts, in an effort to keep them from failing. 4032 is also more expensive to machine, because it wears out tooling quicker. 2618-T61 on the other hand is a low silica content material, so it is more ductile/forgiving, so it is the material predominately used in high cylinder pressure applications. However, 2618 does require more cylinder to wall clearance because of the lack of silica and it reduces anti-scuffing qualities.

Each connecting rod is Rockwell tested to validate the heat treat procedure. The Rockwell scale is a hardness scale based on indentation hardness of a material. The Rockwell test determines the hardness by measuring the depth of penetration of an indenter under a large load compared to the penetration made by a preload.

Magnetic Particle Testing, also referred to as MPI Testing and Magnaflux Testing, helps identify surface flaws in metal products that can be magnetized. We use MPI testing to help identify cracks, laps and seams in our forgings during and after production.

All CP-Carrillo Steel connecting rods are manufactured from an oversized forging resulting in the proper grainflow as well as the surface removal of any potential inclusions or surface conversions generated by the forging process. By insuring proper grain flow with our proprietary material, the strength and durability of each Carrillo rod becomes more consistent and reliable from the first point of manufacturing all the way to the extreme uses in the racing world.

Shot peening relieves tensile stresses built up in the grinding process and replace them with beneficial compressive stresses and increase fatigue life. Shot peening is a cold working process in which the surface of a part is bombarded with small spherical media called shot. Each piece of shot striking the material, acts as a tiny peening hammer, imparting to the surface a small indentation or dimple. In order for the dimple to be created, the surface fibers of the material must be yielded in tension. Below the surface, the fibers try to restore the surface to its original shape, thereby producing below the dimple, a hemisphere of cold-worked material highly stressed in compression. Overlapping dimples develop an even layer of metal in residual compressive stress. It is well known that cracks will not initiate or propagate in a compressively stressed zone. Since nearly all fatigue and stress corrosion failures originate at the surface of a part, compressive stresses induced by shot peening provide considerable increases in part life.

All critical CNC machines at CP-Carrillo are equipped with probing to accurately validate dimensional integrity. In the production process each part is magnafluxed at least twice, further each piece is Rockwell tested to validate the heat treat procedure.  A final controlled and validated shot peen operation completes the part. Once manufacture is completed, the rod a job number is lasered for traceability.

CP-Carrillo offers two types of fasteners: H11 tools steel (WMC) and a Multiphase (CARR) Fastener. The difference is in the material and the longevity. The H11 tool steel bolts are good for about 15-18 torque cycles and the Multiphase fasteners are good for indefinite torquings when stretch method is followed for installation.

CP-Carrillo uses a proprietary steel to manufacture its connecting rods, named Carrilloy. It is a chrome, nickel, moly, vanadium alloy which meets all VAR (vacuum arc re-melt ASTM standards). Carrilloy is simply a modification of an existing SAE specification.  We just tighten up the acceptable attributes of the heat as it is manufactured. The heat is validated, both by the supplier and an independent metallurgist whom confirm the desired physical and chemical properties of steel.

Every rod leaves our facility with a specification card.  This spec card displays a part number, critical dimensions, weights, job number and bolt installation chart; all for ease of identification and tracking.

Since 1963, the name Carrillo is recognized as the preeminent custom connecting rod manufacturer in the world. CP-Carrillo has provided custom and prototype connecting rods to virtually every major automotive and motorcycle venue, most notably to the high performance and speed equipment industry. Whether it is a development engine or a modified existing engine, when nothing but the finest, most accurate, proven part is needed, Carrillo earned the reputation of simply being the best. In addition to our well known H beam connecting rod, we offer an A beam configurations as well. All versions of Pro-H and A are stocking parts, which are limited to the more popular dimensions and part numbers. To decide which beam type is best suited for your application, please call our Technical Sales staff. Together we can build a rod that is best suited for your application and needs.

The fastener system of a high performance connecting rod is most likely the most critical unit of the assembly. As a result it is important that the fastener is installed per instructions and with recommended lube. CP-Carrillo has close to fifty years of experience of working with what have become the most recognized fasteners in the connecting rod industry. Much of this has come from experience which has been tested and validated repeatedly.
Each CP-Carrillo fastener design is based on a known yield load. During linear stretch of the bolt this load should never be reached. The recommended stretch value is 80% of yield load calculated in a tension – torque diagram.
Torque figures are the more commonly used method for tightening fasteners, however this is not CP- Carrillo’s preferred method and we will explain why: Torque is affected by numerous variables, all of which can alter the true preload figure you are trying to attain. Particularly, the lube utilized, the condition of the threads, the spot face, dimensional integrity, as well as other variables have an effect. Nearly all of these elements are alleviated if the assembler uses a “stretch” method. CP-Carrillo found that the consistency of high quality fasteners offers the least deviation when using the stretch method, with the result that the fastener will exhibit proper preload using designated stretch.

CP-Carrillo is often asked about general horsepower ratings for the various designs of its connecting rods. Unfortunately, this cannot be answered in a simple way. The most relevant rod design parameters are Inertia forces (a function of engine speed, crank train geometry and assembly weights) and Cylinder firing pressure (tuning, fuel, boost, etc.) Through increased engine speed, displacement, firing pressure or a combination thereof, horsepower is gained. However, though the various changes in the cycle, the demand on the rods varies greatly. Moreover, extreme dynamic loads on the drive train such as intermittently free spinning wheels or propellers (Hill Climb races, Off-Shore boat races) should be considered the when making the right choice of rod. Based on our experience combined with our analysis methods we like to provide you with our best suggestion for your specific application.

At CP-Carrillo, we not only build high performance connecting rods, we provide service, knowledge and support.  Our high-tech design, engineering and manufacturing operation is backed by a world-class service department.  Our full staff of dedicated technicians, engineers and customer service is prepared to help with all of your design, application and service needs.

Throughout the manufacturing process and before leaving our facility, CP-Carrillo rods are under the control of a rigorous Quality Assurance system.  Each rod is subjected to a variety of inline quality checks, to ensure dimensions meet our stringent tolerance requirements.  We employ a variety of testing equipment to accurately assess these tolerances, including a CMM, Air and Height-Gages to name just a few. The initial quality assurance starts with our selection of material, followed by a strict forging and heat treating process.  As a rod moves through the manufacturing process, quality assurance follows every step of the process; testing dimensional integrity and quality, providing an electronic trail of certification throughout the entire manufacturing and shipping process. Thus enabling us to become ISO 9002-2008 certified.

Often copied, but never duplicated. We laser engrave Job number on the side of the cap, utilize CP- Carrillo fasteners and laser our logo on the beam. If in doubt, call our office and we would be happy to help identify your connecting rod.

Yes, we offer a hand held stretch gauge to check rod bolt stretch the proper way. Our gauge includes a special high-tension spring that allows adjustability for bolts up to 2.75 in. long.

Majority of our rods have great serviceability and we offer a recon service. Recon service includes a visual inspection and magnaflux. If the rod can be reconditioned, we check straightness and alignment, re-hone and re-bush. We check the bolts and perform a Rockwell test. Bolts are not included in the recon charge, but are available for purchase if a replacement is recommended.

We recommend using the lube we provide and here is why: Dimensional integrity is foremost importance-- the qualities of our fasteners have set the standard in the industry and we have continually looked at improved lubrication. The results of this continued effort is a new, improved lubrication for the fasteners. This is still molybdenum based lubrication grease, but with enhanced properties. CP- Carrillo lube offers an improved clamp load repeatability, greater resistance to high pressure and temperature (range -22F to 1200F), and no oil contamination. The coefficient of friction stays unchanged, even after several bolt re-tightening and loosening processes. The implementation of this new lube is simply another example of CP-Carrillo’s efforts to continue to offer the finest connecting rod in the industry.

Yes, you can buy a spare connecting rod. We try to match to +/-1 gram weight of the set. If it is a more popular item we should have a spare on the shelf, if not we will manufacture one.

Absolutely.  Our heat treat operations are designed by our contracted metallurgist.  We heat treat via the a mar-aged operation, resulting in UTS of 195,000 with a yield of 182,000 while maintaining the critical elements of low notch-sensitivity and ductility.