Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications 3.0L Duratec Piston durability

Ok. We have several cases of 99 3L and 2.5L SVT pistons having broken ring lands.

We have several cases of detonation.
I'm willing to say that detonation is obviously going to blow any piston, but that doesn't explain what is happening here when you just have broken ring lands.
There are 3 cases I know of where 99 and earlier engines have failed with no sign of detonation, or running lean with only cracked ring lands to show for it.
We have buckshots engine that shows clear signs of detonation from the melted edges of the pistons, and BurrtaSVT saying he has a hole in the top which also sounds like detonation.

Why do some engines show no sign of detonation and have broken secondary compression ring lands and are all 99 and earlier?
The only thing I can think of is that some of the compressive load on the top ring pushes it against its support, which also pushes against the second ring and its support respectively. However on the pistons with the thin second ring support it is just not thick enough to hold the load if cylinder pressures go really high.
Any sign of light detonation probably kills it; leaving me to concluded that the early 99 and earlier pistons for all duratechs probably have VERY little resistance to detonation and should be avoided in a FI'd or highly tuned high compression 3L engine.

Procyon, I'm probably wrong somewhere here, but you're an engine engineer so give us your take?