1.094 vs 0.990 Piston Pins- Weight Saving or Not?

Utilizing the .990 pin allows use of a big block Chevrolet connecting rod which have 2.200 (vs. 2.375) rod journals. The smaller rod journal helps with clerance issues when you get into the 4.150 or greater stroke crank, especially in a low deck application. The addition benefit of weigh savings and component cost/availability make it a better deal than using stock 1.094/2.375 stuff.


I was able to find some weights on rods and piston pins but not the piston. I think the weight savings is very little, if any.

Molnar Connecting Rods H-beams
-6.760" length
-Big End Bore: 2.500”
-Big End Width: 1.017”
-Pin End Width: 1.140”
-Bolt: 7/16 ARP2000
-Pin=
-1.094"= 852
-0.990"= 849

So with the rods, same manufacturer everything the same width, length, even the bolts. Between the 1.094 and the 0.990 pin there is only a 3 gram difference. Sure there are lighter rods out there but I wanted an apples to apples comparison.

Mahle piston pin:
-Length- 2.52"
-Material- Steel

-1.094= 153 grams
-0.990= 148 grams

So again same manufacturer same length. There is only a 5 gram difference between the pins.

JE piston pins:
-Series 51
-Length-2.930"
-5115 low carbon steel

-1.094= 170 grams
-0.990= 151 grams

Here your up to a 19 gram difference. But I still think the weight savigs would be used up with the extra aluminum in the piston.

The only thing I can't find is the exact same pistons with the different pin size. To compare.

So when everything is kept as similar as possible. If you were building an engine and you had the choice to use either pin I don't think there is actually a weight savings. In some instances there is an advantage to using the smaller pin, for example if you were building a stroker and the pin is close to the oil ring a smaller pin would get the oil ring a little futher away. But for weight saving I don't think there is any.