Widening ring gaps???
11-15-2011, 02:49 PM
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Widening ring gaps??? Im putting together a stock LQ4 for boost and have been doing lots of reading. Many people seem to be widening ring gaps and many people do not. From what i have gathered it could possibly save from losing the top ring land. Is losing a ring land with the stock gap inevitable once you reach a certain boost level due to the extra heat or is this usually tune/detonation related? Is it worth taking the motor apart just to widen ring gaps?
11-15-2011, 03:45 PM
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For what its worth we were going to open up our top ring gap but when we checked our first piston it was already at .023 for the top and .028 for the second so we left it. The top ring is supposed to be tighter than that but weren't. Our engine only had 64,000 miles on it also and didn't burn any oil so we decided to leave it.
11-15-2011, 04:13 PM
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When you guys open the top ring gap do you re-hone the cylinder?
Can i just pull the motor, drop the pan and heads then pull each cylinder one by one and open up the top ring gap and reassemble?
Can i just pull the motor, drop the pan and heads then pull each cylinder one by one and open up the top ring gap and reassemble?
11-15-2011, 04:29 PM
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For what its worth we were going to open up our top ring gap but when we checked our first piston it was already at .023 for the top and .028 for the second so we left it. The top ring is supposed to be tighter than that but weren't. Our engine only had 64,000 miles on it also and didn't burn any oil so we decided to leave it.
I would say if you are just widening the gaps on the old rings, dont re-hone them. But if you are installing new rings and widening the gaps on those, then honing is probably recommended.
Last edited by thirdgen60; 11-15-2011 at 04:35 PM.
11-15-2011, 06:26 PM
#7
I didn't rehone or anything when I did it. Took it all apart (motor was on a stand), cleaned everything really good, took off the top ring, filed it to .028 when in the cylinder, reinstalled on the piston and lubed everything up good and reassembled.
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11-16-2011, 12:18 AM
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haha case closed by the guy that runs a stock shortblock into the 8's without widening ring gaps 
One more question, does detonation break pistons because of excess heat causing the ring to break the piston or does detonation create some sor tof shockwave effect that does the damage? So basically would wider ring gaps save a piston if detonation occurs or is it screwed either way.
One more question, does detonation break pistons because of excess heat causing the ring to break the piston or does detonation create some sor tof shockwave effect that does the damage? So basically would wider ring gaps save a piston if detonation occurs or is it screwed either way.
11-16-2011, 02:11 AM
#11
haha case closed by the guy that runs a stock shortblock into the 8's without widening ring gaps
One more question, does detonation break pistons because of excess heat causing the ring to break the piston or does detonation create some sor tof shockwave effect that does the damage? So basically would wider ring gaps save a piston if detonation occurs or is it screwed either way.
One more question, does detonation break pistons because of excess heat causing the ring to break the piston or does detonation create some sor tof shockwave effect that does the damage? So basically would wider ring gaps save a piston if detonation occurs or is it screwed either way.
11-16-2011, 06:44 AM
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I just got done assembling my LQ4 shortblock. Stock piston's, honed the block, akerly & childs rings. I think I went .030 top, .032 2nd. Gonna run E85 with a Turbonetic's HP76. On the bullet some recommended .028 top. More gap is better than not enough. What do yall think?
11-16-2011, 10:22 AM
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So too loose? Several have recommended .028-.034 on the bullet. This is gonna be a street car raced once in awhile. When it does get raced it's gonna be pushed hard.
11-16-2011, 12:25 PM
#18
Stock rings gaps here with no problems. I think HOTROD associated breaking a ring land off of a piston with rings butting but I would say the majority is from detonation.