Gapping LS piston rings for boost
Teching In
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 5
Likes: 2
From: Kamloops BC
Double checking and gapping if need be is free...why wouldn't you?
I got Mahle rings for $45 from Rock Auto shipped to me in freakin' Canada...why wouldn't you?
After years of spending retarded amounts of money on engines that made good HP but yet were dogshit compared to a JY LS turbo setup this is about as free as it gets....enjoy.
Jon.
I got Mahle rings for $45 from Rock Auto shipped to me in freakin' Canada...why wouldn't you?
After years of spending retarded amounts of money on engines that made good HP but yet were dogshit compared to a JY LS turbo setup this is about as free as it gets....enjoy.
Jon.
i have a 320 that seems to work really well. rings (new or used) seal right up nice and quick.
last weekend i ran an 11 at 133 on a junkyard gen 4 4.8 with a 7875. no blowby to speak of. nothing alarming in the oil or the catchcan.
on tr6's
big *** gaps
too much gears too lol
Teching In
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 5
Likes: 2
From: Kamloops BC
I like to use the 3 stone hone from whom ever is cheapest. I'll hit every cyl with the 180 grit to suss out any weird core shift in the walls and if it looks good finish off with the 320. That is the standard grit with 90% of modern ring packs.
The dingle ball hone is ok but the flat stones will straighten out the walls a tad if they are a bit out. Not machine shop straight.....sloppy straight.
Jon.
9 Second Club
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 13,616
Likes: 185
From: Norn Iron
LMAO, at the end of the day, if you know your gonna want MORE!!! then do the ring gaps and know you are ready for more BOOST!! Never has anyone said, oh I'll be happy with 600RWHP and STAYED at that lever forever ... seriously
I can tell you with a good tune I've run 30+lbs on .022 gaps with a 3.78 bore with no ring butting issues. I would have run tighter, but thats what the majority of the used OEM rings I used had worn to.
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Verdad Gallardo Guess that depends on the source. Here’s a good one.
This is a much larger bore engine with what sounds like about a .030 gap VS tighter gap and gapless rings picking up 12hp and 15ftlb. (430 NA HP SBC) Also note the improved cranking compression, leak down rates, and VE.
Compound those gains with 15-20lbs of boost and they are pretty substantial IMO. But as with anything on LS1tech, do your own research and decide for yourself. I’m just throwing out suggestions based on what I’ve researched.
http://www.hotrod.com/articles/ccrp-...ton-ring-test/
This is a much larger bore engine with what sounds like about a .030 gap VS tighter gap and gapless rings picking up 12hp and 15ftlb. (430 NA HP SBC) Also note the improved cranking compression, leak down rates, and VE.
Compound those gains with 15-20lbs of boost and they are pretty substantial IMO. But as with anything on LS1tech, do your own research and decide for yourself. I’m just throwing out suggestions based on what I’ve researched.
http://www.hotrod.com/articles/ccrp-...ton-ring-test/
Restricted User
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 7,192
Likes: 109
From: Ohio
Most people aren't worried about the 20 HP lost from larger ring gap nearly as much as they are the rings butting together. Especially when they can still still make the power they want by tuning up the boost 1 PSI to compensate (tis the way of cheap turbo setups).
Gaps tighten up with heat anyway, like that from a turbo setup, so the losses don't get quite as compounded as you'd think.
Gaps tighten up with heat anyway, like that from a turbo setup, so the losses don't get quite as compounded as you'd think.
Right, I get that. I don’t go crazy trying to get gaps as close as possible either. But the .028-.030+ I hear about on small bore engine is excessive for almost all applications IMO. And while it won’t cause the motor to fail, it will leak compression and drop efficiency to some extent.
Guess my point is I can’t see needlessly over gapping because that’s what the other bandwagon folk are doing. (mainly because they don’t know any better) If your used rings are .018 or over, I see no advantage opening them up any more on most small bore stuff. But that’s just my opinion.
Guess my point is I can’t see needlessly over gapping because that’s what the other bandwagon folk are doing. (mainly because they don’t know any better) If your used rings are .018 or over, I see no advantage opening them up any more on most small bore stuff. But that’s just my opinion.
Restricted User
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 7,192
Likes: 109
From: Ohio
As long as its in the ballpark. E85 can afford .018-.024 gaps with ease. Add .004 for gasoline to be on the safe side. As long as you're not over .030" gap on a 3.78" bore, you won't notice even when paying attention.
9 Second Club
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 13,616
Likes: 185
From: Norn Iron
Guess that depends on the source. Here’s a good one.
This is a much larger bore engine with what sounds like about a .030 gap VS tighter gap and gapless rings picking up 12hp and 15ftlb. (430 NA HP SBC) Also note the improved cranking compression, leak down rates, and VE.
Compound those gains with 15-20lbs of boost and they are pretty substantial IMO. But as with anything on LS1tech, do your own research and decide for yourself. I’m just throwing out suggestions based on what I’ve researched.
http://www.hotrod.com/articles/ccrp-...ton-ring-test/
This is a much larger bore engine with what sounds like about a .030 gap VS tighter gap and gapless rings picking up 12hp and 15ftlb. (430 NA HP SBC) Also note the improved cranking compression, leak down rates, and VE.
Compound those gains with 15-20lbs of boost and they are pretty substantial IMO. But as with anything on LS1tech, do your own research and decide for yourself. I’m just throwing out suggestions based on what I’ve researched.
http://www.hotrod.com/articles/ccrp-...ton-ring-test/
Equally another webpage on ring gaps....who knows how much validity there is to it either.
http://diagnosticengineers.org/journ...dge%20Gaps.php
Whilst I do use the TS gapless myself...that article almost seems more like an advertisement for them than an actual independent test. Strangely reading this and a lot of other forums, few seem to use the gapless stuff...I can only guess down to cost ?
Equally another webpage on ring gaps....who knows how much validity there is to it either.
http://diagnosticengineers.org/journ...dge%20Gaps.php
Equally another webpage on ring gaps....who knows how much validity there is to it either.
http://diagnosticengineers.org/journ...dge%20Gaps.php
The consensus seems to be you need a newly finished cylinder wall for them to seat?
I opened mine up to 0.030 to 0.032 top and 0.028 to 0.030 2nd. But I plan on speed bagging this engine in the nuts. Someone on here once said....No one will know if your gaps are a little big, but everyone will know if they are too tight. I liked that quote lol
They say running the same gap promotes ring flutter at high RPM. Probably not a big issue with the typical LS stuff’s lowish RPM. I’ve known several people that gapped them the same with no apparent problems. I figure why take the risk? and go .002 larger on the bottoms.
Teching In
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
I believe this is my experience with ring Gap so far 2002 5.3 on3 7876 Turbo no gapping on the Rings 120k on the motor microsquirt with sloppy gas tune 93 oct.at 5-6 psi with washerfluid no problem with 10-11 psi popped the ringland out of the top of the piston on #7 check the ring gap on other cylinders number 7 what's the tightest at .018 I'm going to regap to 26 28ish I'm trying to take a couple pics as soon as I get a chance