2.5 280 Rebuild - Who is the go to these days?

**patchesII** · 07-27-2021, 01:23 PM

Actually just remembered that Wizard makes a stock weight piston that takes the Mercury ring. If you’re not gonna buy Mercury pistons I’d buy these. They’re a pretty good piston and the Merc ring is hands down the best for nicasil

**CUDA** · 07-27-2021, 01:55 PM

What type of oil were you using ? I remember old Party Marty like Red line with the nitrous.

**patchesII** · 07-27-2021, 02:30 PM

I ran Redline methanol oil. Measuring was easy, I just dumped a quart to 5 gallons. Lol

**CUDA** · 07-27-2021, 06:11 PM

I use regular Redline in all my 2 stroke stuff

Insurance nice smell

**baja200merk** · 07-27-2021, 11:21 PM

Dave doesn’t like top pin or single ring but the 300ft #s I heard years ago at Jasper right before the crash were very impressive! Great job and it’s only getting faster.

ps. Aren’t wizards weiscos

**LakeFever** · 07-28-2021, 05:03 AM

I’m lost here I thought wizard pistons were long unavailable?

**CUDA** · 07-28-2021, 05:28 AM

https://wizardraceshop.com/2-5l-mercury-stock/

**Esox4130** · 07-28-2021, 08:15 AM

I’ve had great success running wizard pistons and turn them up 11k. They are in my motor now and past 3 seasons. Weisco makes Mercury, and wizards. I do run mercury rings though.

**CUDA** · 07-28-2021, 09:55 AM

Then you have to one ring VS two ring debate...

**patchesII** · 07-28-2021, 01:13 PM

Wiseco does make them both but Mercury has proprietary cam grinds and materials for their pistons. Definitely not saying the Wizards are bad by any stretch, I just preferred the Mercury pistons. I did run both. My setup was hard enough on pistons that I was always on the lookout for used 2 ring 280 pistons. I’d run them for a 2-3 races and replace as needed. The starboard side pistons got replaced almost twice as often. After a race I’d leak it down and if it was sketchy I’d pull that piston and replace it

**Tom Foley** · 07-28-2021, 01:55 PM

FWIW I had 3 of 6 New Mercury pistons and rings fail due to ring grooves that opened up to .025 " clearance causing the rings to wear out the plating on those cylinders . This was 40 hours of river riding mostly between 4500 - 6000 rpm on a 260 with new Nic . Never had this happen before but did see some out of a 280 that had the same issue . Both top pinned .

**CUDA** · 07-28-2021, 02:05 PM

So did Merc take the credit and make good

**LakeFever** · 07-30-2021, 09:50 AM

So what differentiates the Merc, Wizard, and wiseco's?

**Capt.Insane-o** · 07-30-2021, 08:54 PM

Sunday we will see what it looks like inside. I am not foreseeing too many issues as it is a damn clean motor and the OG pistons might go to Marles upon measuring the skirts, ring lands and wrist pin fit. I've done probably a dozen motors with wizards and the TiN rings and have'nt had any issues, the last one being a s3000 that was on my HST and I was horrible person to that motor.