Why does Getzen use nickel silver for its pistons instead of monel like other major manufacturers?
There are many reasons why we use nickel silver for our pistons. The biggest is that nickel just performs better. In its raw form, monel is very hard and resistant to corrosion; however, it is very susceptible to the effects of annealing. That is, the metal undergoes a physical change when it is exposed to high temperatures – high temperatures like those used to braze in piston liners. The result is a piston with both hard and soft areas. This causes the piston to wear unevenly and to corrode more quickly in these annealed areas. In the long run, this condition leads to an inferior piston. On the other hand, nickel silver does not anneal in the same way as monel. Therefore, the entire surface of the piston remains hard even after the brazing process. That alone makes our pistons superior, but we don’t stop there. All of our nickel pistons are also nickel plated. This layer of nickel silver plating accomplishes two things. First, it further guarantees a uniform surface hardness on the p
