How important is Ring gap orientation

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DartVadar

DartVadar

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I was just wondering this, I installed my piston rings with all the ring gaps in different orientations to ensure that the gaps aren't lined up, so no problem there. But how important is this really? I know the rings rotate as the engine is running, so theoretically couldn't they line themselves up? If they did line up would there be any drop in performance? Or is it really minor. Just a topic that I was curious about.
 
Back in 69 my buddys new Road Runner burned oil like crazy, the dealer wound up pulling the engine and on teardown found the rings all aligned. This was a brand new car. When he got it back, the 383 never used any oil and it was one of the faster ones in town. I don't know if they replaced the original engine or repaired it. Line the openings up and you'll have problems with compression and oil control.
 
Important...who knows...

I put the oil rings ends on either side of the pin...and the compression rings on opposite end 90 to the pins....after that....who know what happens..
 
If there was going to be a compression loss, the compression would follow the path of least resistance and zig zag through the gaps even if they were not aligned. It's simply an old wives tale. The gaps are under .030" of an inch. The piston only has to hold compression long enough for the spark to ignite the mixture. It would take longer for the compression to leak past a gap that small than the piston stays at TDC, so if there is a loss of compression to where the engine won't run, it's not because the rings are lined up. The service manual does show how to install rings. When they are installed new, none of the gaps are lined up. This is to assure that the rings and cylinders are broken in good and have plenty of time to seat properly. Since they do rotate in the bore, the gaps do line up from time to time. Once the rings are broken in, it makes no difference. Also, when the oil rings are assembled, there is NO gap. The oil ring butts against itself and creates a seal.
 
Robbie2734 said:
Back in 69 my buddys new Road Runner burned oil like crazy, the dealer wound up pulling the engine and on teardown found the rings all aligned. This was a brand new car. When he got it back, the 383 never used any oil and it was one of the faster ones in town. I don't know if they replaced the original engine or repaired it. Line the openings up and you'll have problems with compression and oil control.
Click to expand...

Mopar had a real ring gap problem in that era,, I personally re-ringed at least 3 motors at a dealership with the same prob. - and others did more..

Rumor was dissgruntled employee..

I've read sources that say ring gaps at the pin, 180* opposite each other.
Other souces say 45* off the pin..

Other sources said never have the ring gap on the thrust side.. I've seen scoring evident on cylinders with gaps on the thrust side,,
 
Yea I was talking to my grandpa, he build many engines and raced said engines with a lot of success. He said to essentially just make sure that the ring gaps aren't aligned, but said that it essentially doesn't matter that much, a lot of engines he took apart had the ring gaps all over the place from were they were set in the first place.
 
They move around. Put them in how it makes sense. 90 to oil ring and 180 sounds good to me.
 
It is really REALLY too damn bad that the world has gone "Chineseo." Back when major outfits like Sealed Power, Perfect Circle, and the list is impressive, were real, honest to goodness U.S. companies, "if that were now" those people could impart huge amounts of machine knowledge over the www. just by putting up some tech stuff on their website.

Kareiessst Champion plugs doesn't even have an effin' decent application lookup "online"
 
Ask yourself why ring makers now advise a bigger gap in the second ring and you will have your answer when it comes to first and second ring gaps being aligned.
 
Years ago, I was driving my '55 Plymouth up a long grade when all of a sudden a cloud of smoke billowed out behind me. The engine had been overhauled 4-5k earlier and was not burning oil, so I was sure it broke a piston. When I tore it down, all I found was all the ring gaps aligned on one piston. A new set of rings properly installed on that piston resolved the problem.
 
I know the slugs rock in the bores, more one way than the other. I orient the ring gaps, staggered, where the least amount of rock is, because I can.
 
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