Overlapping Oil control rings

[CTX-SLPR]

Ok, this is bugging me. I can't remember if the oil control rings in my engine were overlapping when I installed them or not. What exactly happens if they are?

Thanks,

[IRONHEAD]

Re: Overlapping Oil control rings

Ok, this is bugging me. I can't remember if the oil control rings in my engine were overlapping when I installed them or not. What exactly happens if they are?

Thanks,

you mean the ends of the ring or the ring on the spacer

[CTX-SLPR]

Re: Overlapping Oil control rings

The waffle ring in the middle, I did check the gaps on the support rails.

[squirrel]

Re: Overlapping Oil control rings

carnage?

It would be difficult to compress the rings if the spacer is overlapped...and it would tear things up if you forced the pistons in that way

[CTX-SLPR]

Re: Overlapping Oil control rings

Pistons went in easy after I figured out how to use the band type ring compessor. I gapped the top and second rings by hand on a ring grinder and deburred them with a needle file. I did the same to the side rails for the oil control ring (pin is below the ring land) but I'm not sure what I did on the waffle ring in the middle. I might have it where the valleys are nested inside of each other. While I'm prepared to fix it, I'd rather not take everything apart and get new gaskets if I don't have to.

[Dynoroom]

Re: Overlapping Oil control rings

1st, I always check the oil ring rails & the expander's before I assemble an engine. The rails can be as tight as .010 to as loose as .035 with no ill effects to your engine. The expander's are what help "seal" the engine on the crankcase side. The way they work is by loading the cylinder walls so the rails can keep oil from reaching the combustion chambers. They create ring drag doing this, high tension rings have more load on the wall (say ~ 17- 20 lbs) vs low tension rings (~11 - 13 lbs) this can easily be measured with a fish scale. Install the oil rings on the piston, turn it upside down and slip the wrist pin in. Now install the piston in the bore, push it down toward the bottom of the hole. Now hook the scale to the wrist pin and start to pull up. Brakeaway load will be a little high but the as the piston moves you can read the load need to keep it traveling. That is your ring drag or "tension".

Now to answer the question....... ;D When I install the expander in the bore I'm checking I make note on the build sheet (you do use a build sheet don't you) ;) as to the overlap or lack thereof. What I use is the serrations in the expander. 1/2 serration overlap, 3/4 serration overlap, 1 serration open (no overlap) etc. The more overlap you have the higher the ring tension. I never run an engine with more the 1 serration overlap. Conversely if you run expander's with too much open gap the ring drag will be lower but the oil control will be less too. Thus the need for a vacuum pump but that's another subject.......

[CTX-SLPR]

Re: Overlapping Oil control rings

Thanks. Right now it assembled, would torque taken to turn it be a usable number in determining if the tension is too high or am I just due for a teardown?

[Dynoroom]

Re: Overlapping Oil control rings

Thanks. Right now it assembled, would torque taken to turn it be a usable number in determining if the tension is too high or am I just due for a teardown?

Torque for a rotating assy. is just a number. If it turns over smooth I'm sure you'll be okay...... We use to turn engines over with a torque wrench, it can give you some idea IF you're building the same engine over and over. Like I said, I'm sure you'll be allright, it won't go together very well otherwise. ;)

[BangShiftChad]

Re: Overlapping Oil control rings

FYI. Total Seal has a bitchin set of new oil rings that fit everything. They are one piece. They are not the old 3 piece style.

Plus, they are so flexible you can almost tie them in a knot.

[IRONHEAD]

Re: Overlapping Oil control rings

FYI. Total Seal has a bitchin set of new oil rings that fit everything. They are one piece. They are not the old 3 piece style.

Plus, they are so flexible you can almost tie them in a knot.

we like pictures..