Abstract: A reinforced lightweight metal piston having fibers within the piston crown to reinforce the crown surface to improve the thermal properties and wear resistance of the crown surface. The reinforcing fibers are embedded in the piston metal using a pressure casting process used to manufacture the piston. The fibers are selected from the group of aluminum silicate, alumina, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, boron, boron carbide and graphite. The fibers can be orientated in the preform in several various directions. The wear resistance of the piston crown can be further increased by the addition of a ferrous heat plug. The fiber reinforced portion is located around the heat plug and provides improved physical and mechanical properties of the piston crown to reduce cracking of the crown around the heat plug and loosening of the heat plug due to metal creep.