Widening ring gaps???
sorry, im not too knowledgeable in these areas . how does weight help with ring gap?
On The Tree
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 121
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From: Grapevine,TX
Sarg, I am building the motor myself. Someone else is gonna tune it though. It is gonna be a street car. I'm gonna put a catch can setup on it. Will that help with the blowby? Or should I just get another set of rings?
Maybe talk to the shop the tuner is at and get their recommendations. I know there have been some motors that I just flat out refused to tune due to the build. I know there are a lot of old school shops out there running large gaps. Catch can vented to atmosphere would definitely help, but catch cans just don't catch everything and if you plan to draw vacuum using the motor or turbo inlet, you run the risk of sucking oil back through the intake (can lead to detonation). I am not sure I am going to open the gap on my rings at all on my twin 70mm turbo motor with stock short block and pistons.
If you look above at two guys that have build some fast *** 5.3 stock blocks...well, they are not even regapping them at all! Did you measure the gap on the old rings or just open them up based on what folks said on YB?
If you look above at two guys that have build some fast *** 5.3 stock blocks...well, they are not even regapping them at all! Did you measure the gap on the old rings or just open them up based on what folks said on YB?
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Verdad Gallardo Good point also, we run stock rod bolts, another thing people upgrade and I don't think needs to be upgraded in these JY motors.
Sarg, based off of some YB recommendations. I'm getting another set of rings. Set em at .022 top & .024 2nd. The tuner I talked to said it would be ok. But this is gonna be a street car so I just couldn't live with it. Ended up gettin another set cheap with my work's discount.
Sarg, based off of some YB recommendations. I'm getting another set of rings. Set em at .022 top & .024 2nd. The tuner I talked to said it would be ok. But this is gonna be a street car so I just couldn't live with it. Ended up gettin another set cheap with my work's discount.
Last edited by Monte4ever; Nov 19, 2011 at 05:54 PM.
Teching In
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 29
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When hot rod mag did the big bang theory on a 5.3l that turned out to be a 4.8 l they recommended gap of 0.028 instead of stock gap 0.015. They said it would cause piston failure (welding and butting against the cylinders if you don't running more than 15 lbs of boost. They pushed the motor hard with 27.6 of boost making over 1,000 hp. Google hot rod magazin
e's big bang theory twin turbo 5.3l.
e's big bang theory twin turbo 5.3l. We just have never gone that large on the top ring. I can't see it being necessary. We have taken motors over 1000 hp and never seen any ring butting. I guess it is personal preference.
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Oct 2011
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You are also assuming the gap will be the stock gap. Pull a piston and see what it is at. Our gap was already bigger than what we thought it would be and very close to the gap people were recommending. These faster guys are NOT widening gaps but I would like to know if they checked to see what the gap was. It would be interesting. I believed stock called for .015 and ours was .022 if I remember correctly. Surely the higher the mileage on the Junk Yard engine the possiblility the gap is wider which will help? Unless I am completely thinking about this wrong.
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Oct 2011
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I think that would be great info. I think it will surprise you. It seems as though the higher mileage engines seem to actually hold up the best. The opposite of what common sense tells us. I bet the gap is probably right about where you want it when you check. No where near what it started stock. I am guessing though.
I see no reason to pull apart a stock block to gap stock rings.
Never have, its just not necessary imo. If gonna go thru all that trouble,might as well just come back with forged parts and forced induction spec rings
Never have, its just not necessary imo. If gonna go thru all that trouble,might as well just come back with forged parts and forced induction spec rings
