Mahle Motorsports C+P Sets

MAHLE Motorsport Porsche Pistons & Cylinder Sets

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MAHLE Motorsport Pistons and Cylinders for Aircooled and Watercooled Porsche Engines

LN Engineering is a MAHLE Motorsport dealer specializing in Porsche applications, offering MAHLE Motorsport forged piston sets, OE-style MAHLE piston-and-cylinder sets, and exclusive combinations pairing MAHLE Motorsport pistons with LN Engineering Nickies cylinders.

Through the MAHLE Motorsport and LN Engineering relationship, additional Porsche applications have been developed using pistons engineered specifically for LN Engineering Nickies cylinders. These piston-and-cylinder combinations expand coverage where original Porsche or MAHLE sets may no longer be available and provide matched materials, dimensions, clearances, and ring packages for the intended cylinder system.

LN Engineering Nickies cylinders feature billet aluminum construction and a nickel-silicon-carbide bore surface engineered for low friction, wear resistance, and long service life. For selected Porsche 356 and 911 applications, MAHLE Motorsport pistons are designed specifically for use with Nickies rather than simply adapting a generic piston to the cylinder. MAHLE Motorsport itself documents this partnership and the use of piston alloys and designs selected for compatibility with LN cylinders.

LN Engineering offers MAHLE Motorsport piston and cylinder solutions for a wide range of aircooled and watercooled Porsche engines, including:

MAHLE Motorsport + LN Engineering: Pistons Designed for Nickies

MAHLE Motorsport has partnered with LN Engineering to broaden the range of available Porsche applications. For selected aircooled Porsche builds, MAHLE Motorsport produces pistons specifically for use with LN Engineering Nickies cylinders. These are not merely off-the-shelf pistons packaged with an LN cylinder; the piston material and design are selected for compatibility with the Nickies cylinder system and the intended Porsche application.

This relationship allows LN Engineering to offer exclusive piston-and-cylinder combinations for applications where a matched MAHLE Motorsport piston and Nickies cylinder package provides the desired bore size, compression ratio, cylinder construction, and performance characteristics.

MAHLE Motorsport Porsche Piston Technology

MAHLE has a long history supplying piston technology to original-equipment manufacturers, including Porsche, as well as the performance and racing aftermarket. MAHLE Motorsport has applied that experience to modern forged piston and piston-and-cylinder packages for aircooled and watercooled Porsche engines used in both street and competition applications.

MAHLE Motorsport Porsche kits are modern performance adaptations of original or earlier aftermarket piston-and-cylinder sets. As a result, a current MAHLE Motorsport piston may differ visually or dimensionally from an older Porsche, MAHLE, or Andial component. Those differences can be intentional changes made for reduced weight and friction, modern ring packages, current materials, improved durability, or compatibility with contemporary performance engine combinations.

MAHLE Motorsport Porsche pistons are machined from 4032 or 2618 forgings depending on the application. Features can include reduced skirt mass, fully machined crowns, precision-finished pin bores, application-specific valve pockets, phosphate treatment to help protect pin bores and ring grooves, and MAHLE’s proprietary GRAFAL® anti-friction skirt coating to reduce drag, wear, and noise. POWERPAK and Porsche-specific kits also use modern ring packages, high-strength pins, and retaining locks selected for the intended application.

MAHLE Motorsport Porsche piston sets use modern ring packages made from durable materials with reduced section widths where appropriate. These more conformable ring designs can improve bore contact, sealing, and oil control while reducing friction. Ring design and setup vary by piston and application, so the rings supplied with each piston set should be treated as an application-specific component rather than using a single generic ring specification.

Aircooled Porsche Cylinders

The cylinders supplied with MAHLE Motorsport aircooled Porsche piston-and-cylinder packages are produced and machined for the intended application with an emphasis on fit, durability, and performance.

Some MAHLE Motorsport Porsche piston-and-cylinder sets are available in slip-in or machine-in configurations using either MAHLE cylinders or LN Engineering billet-aluminum Nickies cylinders. Slip-in cylinders retain the standard crankcase register while providing a larger bore where the application allows. Machine-in cylinders use a larger spigot diameter and require the crankcase register to be machined accordingly. The additional material available with a larger spigot can be advantageous in highly stressed turbocharged, high-rpm, or competition applications.

Where an original MAHLE cylinder is unavailable—or where a different bore size or cylinder configuration is desired—selected MAHLE Motorsport Porsche piston kits are paired with LN Engineering Nickies cylinders. Nickies use billet-aluminum construction with nickel-silicon-carbide bore plating, while many Porsche 911 applications also incorporate increased cooling-fin area and knock-sensor bosses. Matching the cylinder with the correct MAHLE Motorsport piston and ring package creates a complete system engineered for the intended Porsche application.

Porsche Engine Rebuild Guides

Choosing the correct pistons and cylinders is only one part of a successful Porsche engine rebuild. Bore size, compression ratio, cylinder construction, piston alloy, ring package, machining requirements, cylinder-head configuration, and the intended use of the engine all need to be considered as part of the complete build.

For aircooled Porsche 911 engines, see our Ultimate Guide to Porsche Pistons and Cylinders for Air-Cooled 911 Engines. It covers piston and cylinder selection, displacement changes, slip-in versus machine-in cylinders, cylinder materials and bore technologies, compression ratio, and other considerations when planning an aircooled Porsche engine build.

For Porsche Boxster, Cayman, and normally aspirated 911 engines using the M96 and M97 engine families, see our Ultimate M96/M97 Engine Rebuild Guide. It explains the broader rebuild process, including cylinder repair options, piston selection, inspection of supporting systems, known failure points, machining, assembly, break-in, and long-term engine reliability.

MAHLE Motorsport Porsche Piston & Cylinder Installation Guidance

MAHLE Motorsport piston-and-cylinder kits are performance engine components and should be inspected and measured before final assembly. The supplied components may be engineered differently from the original parts they replace, so the engine should be assembled from measured clearances and the instructions for the specific piston, cylinder, connecting rod, cylinder head, camshaft, and ring package being used.

  • Inspect before assembly: Verify piston, cylinder, wrist-pin, connecting-rod, valve, cylinder-head, and oil-squirter clearances as applicable before the engine is run.
  • Use the specified piston-to-wall measurement: MAHLE provides the piston measurement location and recommended clearance information with the piston or piston-and-cylinder kit. When GRAFAL® skirt coating is used, the specified clearance is measured over the coating.
  • Check every piston ring in its cylinder: Ring end gap must be verified before installation. Use the instructions supplied with the specific ring package and adjust only as required for the actual Porsche engine combination. Generic ring-gap charts should not be treated as a universal Porsche specification.
  • Protect the coatings: Avoid unnecessary piston modification and take care not to damage the GRAFAL® skirt coating during measuring, fitting, and assembly.
  • Install wrist-pin locks correctly: Round-wire clips must be fully seated in their grooves and should not be squeezed or deformed with pliers during installation.
  • Confirm piston orientation: Follow the crown markings and the instructions supplied with the piston set. MAHLE notes that pistons with a directional arrow are installed with the arrow toward the flywheel.
  • Keep final assembly clean: Foreign material on the pistons, rings, or cylinder bores can damage the engine or reduce ring sealing. MAHLE recommends a light coating of clean, lightweight conventional oil on the rings and cylinder bore before final assembly rather than dipping the entire piston in oil.

For complete assembly procedures, always refer to the MAHLE Motorsport instructions supplied with the components. The Porsche aircooled piston-and-cylinder assembly manual is also linked below.

2023 Porsche MAHLE Motorsport Piston and Cylinder Application Guide (Click Here To Download Application Guide) [PDF; 1806 KB]

Porsche Water-Cooled Piston Sets [PDF; 320 KB]

Porsche 356 Air-Cooled Piston & Cylinder Sets [PDF; 830 KB]

Porsche 911 2.0L / 2.2L / 2.4L / 2.7L Air-Cooled Piston & Cylinder Sets [PDF; 1482 KB]

Porsche 911 & 930 3.0L / 3.2L / 3.3L Air-Cooled Piston & Cylinder Sets [PDF; 2196 KB]

Porsche 911 964 & 993 3.6L Air-Cooled Piston & Cylinder Sets [PDF; 1700 KB]

Porsche Piston Ring Sets, Pins, & Clips [PDF; 1315 KB]

MAHLE Motorsport Porsche Aircooled Piston and Cylinder Instruction Manual (Click Here To Download The Manual) [PDF; 3084 KB]

MAHLE Motorsport Porsche Piston and Cylinder Sets

MAHLE Motorsport Porsche piston-and-cylinder sets include matched cylinders, pistons, piston rings, wrist pins, and retaining clips as applicable. Many Nickies-specific combinations are identified with an N suffix in the MAHLE Motorsport part number. Piston alloy and cylinder configuration vary by application, so refer to the individual product listing or current MAHLE Motorsport application data for the exact specification. Piston sets may also be available separately from the cylinders, and selected MAHLE or LN Engineering Nickies cylinders can be purchased independently.

MAHLE Motorsport
Part Number		Description
PS80-001Porsche 911S 2.0L (1964-1968) PP80-001 10.0:1
PS80-002Porsche 911S 2.0L (1964-1968) PP80-002 10.3:1
PS84-001Porsche 911S 2.2 (1969-1971) 8.5:1; 2.4 (1972-1973) 9.0:1
PS86-002NPorsche 911S 2.5L PP86-002 9.3:1
PS86-003NPorsche 356 912 86mm 1720cc PP86-003N, Slip-fit, 57.5-60.5cc chambers, 30 deg 9.5:1
PS86-004NPorsche 356 912 86mm 1720cc PP86-004N, Slip-fit, 60.5-63.5cc chambers, 30 deg 9.5:1
PS86-005NPorsche 356 912 86mm 1720cc PP86-005N, Slip-fit, 63.5-66.5cc chambers, 30 deg 9.5:1
PS91-001NPorsche 356 912 91mm 1925cc PP91-001N, Machine-in, 57.5-60.5cc chambers, 30 deg 9.5:1
PS91-002NPorsche 356 912 91mm 1925cc PP91-002N, Machine-in, 60.5-63.5cc chambers, 30 deg 9.5:1
PS91-003NPorsche 356 912 91mm 1925cc PP91-003N, Machine-in, 63.5-66.5cc chambers, 30 deg 9.5:1
PS89-002NPorsche 911 2.5SS Short Stoke (89×66) PP89-002N 10.3:1 (Billet MM Pistons)
PS90-003NPorsche 911 2.7L 1973-1977 PP90-003N 10.3:1
PS92-004NPorsche 911 2.7L to 2.8L K-Jet CIS 1973-1977 PP92-004N (formerly PS93-001) 9.8:1
PS93-004NPorsche 911 2.7L to 2.9L 1973-1977 PP93-004N 10.3:1
PS98-009Porsche 930 Turbo 3.3L to 3.4L (1978 – 1989) PP98-012 (formerly PS98-004) 7.7:1
PS98-010Porsche 911 Carrera 3.2L to 3.4L (1984 – 1989) Motronic inj. PP98-013 (formerly PS98-002) 10.0:1
PS98-014Porsche 911 3.0L to 3.2L (1978-1983) Carb or Mech. Inj. PP98-014 (formerly PS98-003) 10.2:1
PS98-015Porsche 911 3.0L to 3.2L (1978-1983) Motronic Inj. PP98-015 (formerly PS98-005) 10.0:1
PS98-016Porsche 930 Turbo 3.0L to 3.2L (1976-1977) PP98-016 (formerly PS98-007) 7.5:1
PS98-017Porsche 911 Carrera 3.2L to 3.4L (1984 – 1989) Motronic inj. PP98-017 11.0:1
PS100-009NPorsche 911 3.2L to 3.5L 1984-1989 PP100-009N (formerly PS100-001) Machine-In 105mm 10.3:1
PS100-010NPorsche 911 3.3L to 3.5L 1978-1992 PP100-010N (formerly PS100-005) Machine-In 105mm 7.0:1
PS100-011NPorsche 911 3.0L to 3.3L 1976-1983 PP100-011N Machine-In 105mm 9.8:1
PS102-017Porsche 964 NA 3.6L to 3.8L Slip-Fit 107mm PP102-011 (formerly PS102-002) 12.6:1
PS102-018Porsche 964 NA 3.6L to 3.8L Machine-in 109mm PP102-011 (formerly PS102-003) 12.6:1
PS102-019Porsche 993 Turbo Piston 3.6L to 3.8L Machine-in 109mm 114.5mm tall PP102-012 (formerly PS102-004) 8.0:1
PS102-020Porsche 964/993 Turbo Piston 3.6L to 3.8L Slip-Fit 107mm PP102-013 (formerly PS102-011) 9.2:1
PS102-021Porsche 964/993 Turbo Piston 3.6L to 3.8L Machine-In 109mm PP102-013 (formerly PS102-012) 9.2:1
PS102-022Porsche 993 RSR 3.6L to 3.8L Slip-Fit 107mm PP102-014 (formerly PS102-005/015) 11.4:1
PS102-023Porsche 993 RSR 3.6L to 3.8L Machine-in 109mm PP102-014 (formerly PS102-006/016) 11.4:1
PS102-024Porsche 964/993 NA 3.6L to 3.9L Stroker Slip-Fit 107mm 11.4:1; 80.4mm Stroke, 127mm Rods
PS102-025Porsche 964/993 NA 3.6L to 3.9L Stroker Machine-In 109mm 11.4:1; 80.4mm Stroke, 127mm Rods
PS104-001NPorsche 911 3.6L to 3.9L 964/993 1989-1998 PP104-001N Machine-In 109mm 11.4:1
PS104-014NPorsche 911 964/993 (89-98) NA 3.6L to 4.1L Stroker Machine-In 109mm 12.6:1; 80.4mm Stroke, 130mm Rods
PS104-015NPorsche 911 964/993 (89-98) 3.6 to 4.1L Machine-in 104mm 11.4:1 Stroker MAHLE® Piston & Cylinder Set
PC80-001Porsche 911 2.0L 80mm MAHLE Cylinder (ea)
PC84-001Porsche 911 2.2/2.4L 84mm MAHLE Cylinder (ea)
PC86-002Porsche 911 2.5SS 86.7mm MAHLE Cylinder (ea)
PC98-001Porsche 911 3.0/3.2 98mm MAHLE Cylinder (ea)
PC102-001Porsche 911 3.6 964/993 102mm Machine-In 109mm Case Register MAHLE Cylinder (ea)
PC102-002Porsche 911 3.6 964/993 102mm Slip-In 107mm Case Register MAHLE Cylinder (ea)
PC102-003Porsche 911 3.6 964/993 102mm Machine-In 109mm Case Register Shorter 114.5mm Tall MAHLE Cylinder (ea)
PP100-012N100mm 996/997 Turbo 9.4:1 MAHLE Motorsport Piston Set Including Rings, Pins, and Clips
PP100-013N100mm 996.2/997 GT3 12.5:1 MAHLE Motorsport Piston Set Including Rings, Pins, and Clips
930070776MAHLE Motorsport 101.00mm 8.6:1 Porsche 944 Turbo 2.5 Piston Set 930070776
930070756MAHLE Motorsport 100.50mm 8.6:1 Porsche 944 Turbo 2.5 Piston Set 930070756
930130214MAHLE Motorsport 104.50mm 8.8:1 Porsche 968 Turbo 3.0 Piston Set 930130214
197849080MAHLE Motorsport 96mm 11.1:1 Porsche 3.4 996 / Cayman S Piston Set 197849080 (for Nikasil)
197849280MAHLE Motorsport 96mm 11.3:1 Porsche 3.6 996 / 997 Piston Set 197849280 (for Nikasil)
197846098MAHLE Motorsport 99mm 11.8:1 Porsche 3.8 997 Piston Set 197846098 (for Nikasil)
197846037MAHLE Motorsport 100mm 12.0:1 Porsche 3.8 997 Piston Set 197846037 (for Nikasil)
197976416MAHLE Motorsport 102mm 9.0:1 Porsche 991 3.8 Turbo (14-19) Piston Set 197976416

Please note that Porsche piston-and-cylinder sets may be offered in slip-in or machine-in configurations. Slip-in applications do not require the crankcase register to be enlarged, while machine-in sets require machining for the larger cylinder spigot diameter. Early Porsche 964 cylinder heads may require updating when using later 993-style cylinders, and Porsche 356 91mm machine-in sets require machining of the cylinder-head registers in addition to the crankcase.