Compression Rings Clock

[dust]

Where do you clock them?

I clock the gap at 180 degrees offset. (which in my case is 90 deg from the oil rings)

[ehostler]

Just make sure that none of the gaps from any of the rings are lined up with each other.

[charger_dan]

k, stupid question time:

do rings rotate in their bores, or remain stationary?

[dwc43]

I stagger the openings bottom to top with all the ends pointing to one side of the piston pin or the other. You don't want the openings pointed to the thrust side of the piston or they will dig into the wall over time and cause a groove. And you can bet that some of them will spin or mover over time anyways.

[ehostler]

They will all move, anytime the engine is running. Staggering them on install helps to prevent that they will ever be lined up.

[Tarrbabe]

For oil contol, I place the bottom oil ring at 00 degrees top, top oil ring at 180 degree bottom, # 2 compression ring at 90 degree rear and top at 90 front. This is for better oil control and compression retention.

I use a set of Grant rings years ago that had a one piece oil ring. Had to roll start the thing for about a month, the starter wouldn't do it. It was like I had 3 compression rings.

Just thinking out loud.

But then I've always tried something different to see what would happen.

[TK]

Originally Posted by ehostler

They will all move, anytime the engine is running. Staggering them on install helps to prevent that they will ever be lined up.

Not true. I have tore down engines I have put together, to have the rings in the exact place I left them. Any time one place in the cylinder gets scored, the whole ring doesn't get scored, just at the place the ring was.


Dust, heres how I install them.

Put a mark front side of the piston. (where the notch is in cast pistons)

Measure about 1 1/2" from you mark towards the center of the engine, and thats where your top ring gap goes, 1 1/2" to the outside of your mark, and thats where your second compression ring gap goes.

Same deal on the other side, for the three piece oil ring, except the gap for the sealing (wavy) ring is in opposite of your mark.

Dip in marvel, squish with ring squisher, and stuff!

Now, here comes the arguing as to why I am wrong..........

[TK]

Oh, don't forget to rubber up













your rod studs!

[oldguyalso]

TK, you must be using a smaller rubber than I need. LOL Sorry, couldn't let that pass!

[dust]

Originally Posted by TK

Oh, don't forget to rubber up




your rod studs!

Oh don't worry, I put a glove on before I pounded it in.

Oh boy, it begins.

(yes, I used a thickster glove)

[jelsr]

Way back when I was racing bikes the H-D racing division said the rings would rotate at about 5 rpm. They made lexan (plastic) cyl's, heads, etc. to test different things and could watch them while running.

[63Fury]

Originally Posted by charger_dan

k, stupid question time:

do rings rotate in their bores, or remain stationary?

I have been told by engineers that rings will rotate above 5000 RPM but I have never seen it myself.

I gap and stagger the ring gaps to the manufatures recomendations. Some print them on the paper they are packaged in. This is what I found. The sealed power I just put in my 383 had them spaced totally differerant than the Hastings I put in my nephews 350 cheby. I think the ring manufatures engineers know more than I do.

With that being said my pops tought me to space them as follows; expansion ring @ 9 (o'clock)(not that the evpansion ring has a groove like the others) one oil @ 10:30, the other @ 7:30, bottom compression @ 1:30, top compression @ 4:30. I was tought do NOT put the ring at 12, 3, 6, or 9 or line them up. It has worked so far. LOL

[aarracer]

Like 63 fury said, read the instructions!!!

Total Seal puts their rings in the same pattern from side to side like they were lined up for a straight eight.

Read the instructions!!

Cheers

AARRACER

[dust]

Originally Posted by aarracer

Like 63 fury said, read the instructions!!!

Total Seal puts their rings in the same pattern from side to side like they were lined up for a straight eight.

Read the instructions!!

Cheers

AARRACER

Instructions for my Sealed Power rings said line up expander with pin, one spacer 90 deg from the pin and the other 90 deg the other way from the pin.

Nothing about clocking the compression rings (plasma moly).