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A piston for use in an engine. The piston includes a piston head having at least one ring groove. The piston also includes a piston skirt coated with a first thickness of a bronze coating material, and a side panel adjacent the piston skirt that is coated with a second thickness of the bronze coatin

A piston for use in an engine. The piston includes a piston head having at least one ring groove. The piston also includes a piston skirt coated with a first thickness of a bronze coating material, and a side panel adjacent the piston skirt that is coated with a second thickness of the bronze coating material. The first and second thicknesses of the bronze coating material are different. In some embodiments, the bronze coating material also includes aluminum.

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We claim: 1. A piston for use in an engine, the piston comprising: a piston head, the piston head including at least one ring groove; a piston skirt coated with a first thickness of a bronze coating material; a side panel adjacent the piston skirt, the side panel coated with a second thickness of t

We claim: 1. A piston for use in an engine, the piston comprising: a piston head, the piston head including at least one ring groove; a piston skirt coated with a first thickness of a bronze coating material; a side panel adjacent the piston skirt, the side panel coated with a second thickness of the bronze coating material; and a land adjacent to the side panel; wherein the first and second thicknesses of bronze coating material are different. 2. The piston of claim 1, wherein the bronze coating material also includes aluminum. 3. The piston of claim 2, wherein the aluminum comprises at least about seven percent and less than or equal to about thirty percent of the bronze material. 4. The piston of claim 3, wherein the aluminum comprises about fourteen percent of the coating material. 5. The piston of claim 1, wherein the bronze coating material also includes manganese. 6. The piston of claim 1, wherein the bronze coating material also includes silicon. 7. The piston of claim 1, wherein the bronze coating material also includes zinc. 8. The piston of claim 1, wherein the first thickness of bronze coating material is greater than or equal to 0.002 inches and less than or equal to 0.030 inches. 9. The piston of claim 8, wherein the first thickness of bronze coating material is between 0.022 inches and 0.025 inches. 10. The piston of claim 1, wherein the first thickness of bronze coating material is greater than or equal to 0.002 inches and less than or equal to 0.030 inches, and wherein the second thickness of bronze coating material is greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to 0.028 inches. 11. The piston of claim 1, wherein the first thickness of the bronze coating material on the skirt is greater than the second thickness. 12. The piston of claim 1, wherein the second thickness of bronze coating material is greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to 0.028 inches. 13. The piston of claim 1, wherein the second thickness on the side panel is a uniform thickness. 14. The piston of claim 1, wherein the second thickness on the side panel is a non-uniform thickness. 15. A method of making a piston comprising: forming a piston blank having a piston head, a piston skirt, and a side panel, the piston skirt having a smaller diameter than the piston head; applying a coating material to the piston skirt; machining the piston blank only after the coating is applied such that the diameter of the piston skirt after machining is greater than or equal to the diameter of the piston head after machining; and wherein the piston machining step includes creating ring grooves in the piston head, and includes removing any coating material from the piston head. 16. The method of claim 15, further comprising grit blasting the piston before applying the coating. 17. The method of claim 15, wherein the coating applying step includes applying a coating of a material containing bronze. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of applying a coating includes applying a coating between 0.002 inches and 0.030 inches thick. 19. The method of claim 15, wherein the coating applying step includes applying a coating between 0.002 inches and 0.030 inches thick to the piston skirt, and applying a coating between 0 and 0.028 inches thick to the side panel. 20. The method of claim 15, wherein the coating applying step includes applying less coating on the side panel than on the piston skirt. 21. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of applying less coating on the side panel includes applying a coating thickness greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to 0.028 inches. 22. The method of claim 20, further comprising masking the side panel before applying the coating on the side panel. 23. The method of claim 20, wherein coating applying step includes using a spray gun to apply the coating, and moving at least one of the piston and the spray gun during application of the coating. 24. The method of claim 23, wherein the coating applying step includes rotating the piston, and further includes rotating the piston at a higher rate when the spray gun is adjacent to the side panel. 25. The method of claim 23, wherein the coating applying step includes moving the spray apparatus and keeping the piston stationary. 26. A piston comprising: a piston head, the piston head including at least one ring groove; a piston skirt having a bronze coating material thereon; a side panel adjacent the piston skirt, the side panel having the bronze coating material thereon; and a land adjacent to the side panel having no bronze coating material thereon. 27. The piston of claim 26, wherein the side panel includes coating material of a different thickness than the thickness of the coating material on the piston skirt. 28. The piston of claim 27, wherein the thickness of coating material on the side panel is a non-uniform thickness. 29. The piston of claim 26, wherein the coating material also includes aluminum. 30. The piston of claim 26, wherein the bronze material also includes at least seven percent aluminum and less than or equal to thirty percent aluminum. 31. The piston of claim 30, wherein the bronze material includes about fourteen percent aluminum. 32. The piston of claim 26, wherein the piston head includes no coating material. 33. The piston of claim 26, wherein the piston skirt includes coating material having a first thickness, and wherein the side panel includes coating material thereon having a second thickness such that the first and second thicknesses are different. 34. The piston of claim 33, wherein the first thickness of bronze coating material is greater than or equal to 0.002 inches and less than or equal to 0.030 inches. 35. The piston of claim 34, wherein the first thickness of bronze coating material is between about 0.022 inches and 0.025 inches. 36. The piston of claim 33, wherein the first thickness of the coating on the skirt is greater than the second thickness on the side panel. 37. The piston of claim 33, wherein the second thickness of bronze coating material is greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to 0.028 inches. 38. The piston of claim 33, wherein the first thickness of bronze coating material is greater than or equal to 0.002 inches and less than or equal to 0.030 inches, and wherein the second thickness of bronze coating material is greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to 0.028 inches. 39. A piston comprising: a piston head, the piston head including at least one ring groove; a piston skirt coated with a first thickness of a bronze coating material; a side panel adjacent the piston skirt, the side panel coated with a second thickness of the coating material, the side panel having an aperture therein to receive a connecting pin; a land adjacent to the side panel; and at least one pin boss disposed radially inwardly of the side panel; wherein the first and second thicknesses of bronze coating material are different. 40. The piston of claim 39, wherein the bronze coating material also includes aluminum. 41. The piston of claim 39, wherein the bronze coating material also includes at least seven percent aluminum and less than or equal to thirty percent aluminum. 42. The piston of claim 41, wherein the bronze coating material also includes about fourteen percent aluminum. 43. The piston of claim 39, wherein the first thickness of bronze coating material is greater than or equal to 0.002 inches and less than or equal to 0.030 inches. 44. The piston of claim 43, wherein the first thickness of bronze coating material is between about 0.022 inches and 0.025 inches. 45. The piston of claim 39, wherein the first thickness of the coating on the skirt is greater than the second thickness on the side panel. 46. The piston of claim 39, wherein the second thickness of bronze coating material is greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to 0.028 inches. 47. The piston of claim 39, wherein the first thickness of bronze coating material is greater than or equal to 0.002 inches and less than or equal to 0.030 inches, and wherein the second thickness of bronze coating material is greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to 0.028 inches. 48. The piston of claim 39, wherein the second thickness on the side panel is a uniform thickness. 49. The piston of claim 39, wherein the second thickness on the side panel is a non-uniform thickness. 50. A piston for use in an engine, the piston comprising: a piston skirt coated with a bronze coating material; a side panel adjacent the piston skirt, the side panel coated with the bronze coating material; a land adjacent to the side panel; and a piston head including at least one ring groove, the piston head including no bronze coating material. 51. The piston of claim 50, wherein the bronze coating material also includes aluminum. 52. The piston of claim 51, wherein the bronze coating material also includes at least about seven percent aluminum and less than or equal to about thirty percent aluminum. 53. The piston of claim 52, wherein the bronze coating material includes about fourteen percent aluminum. 54. The piston of claim 50, wherein the piston skirt includes a bronze coating of a first thickness, and wherein the side panel includes a bronze coating of a second thickness such that the first and second thicknesses are different. 55. The piston of claim 54, wherein the first thickness of bronze coating material is greater than or equal to 0.002 inches and less than or equal to 0.030 inches. 56. The piston of claim 55, wherein the first thickness of bronze coating material is between about 0.022 inches and 0.025 inches. 57. The piston of claim 54, wherein the first thickness of bronze coating material on the skirt is greater than the second thickness on the side panel. 58. The piston of claim 54, wherein the second thickness of bronze coating material is greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to 0.028 inches. 59. The piston of claim 54, wherein the first thickness of bronze coating material is greater than or equal to 0.002 inches and less than or equal to 0.030 inches, and wherein the second thickness of bronze coating material is greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to 0.028 inches. 60. The piston of claim 54, wherein the second thickness on the side panel is a uniform thickness. 61. The piston of claim 54, wherein the second thickness on the side panel is a non-uniform thickness.