Piston ring groove depths
Thread Starter
9 Second Club
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 13,616
Likes: 185
From: Norn Iron
Piston ring groove depths Any do's or dont's with regards to these ?
As AES Racing have completely failed to supply me with new rings I bought and paid for over 3 months ago, I now need a new set for my rebuild
Diamond seem to struggle to reply to emails too.
I have a new set of Total seal gapless rings here though I bought for an older engine but never used. They are same bore, same thickness etc....
But measuring old pistons vs current, ring groove depth seems to vary quite a bit.
The Diamond rings previously used seem to be slightly thinner with the groove being around 20-25thou deeper than each ring ( top/second )
If I were to use the Total Seal rings on the same pistons there would only be around 10 thou from this same measurement.
Older JE/Wiseco pistons Ive used have much deeper groove depths again.
Obviously the rings will never be fully squeezed into the ring groove...but how much free space should there be behind the rings ? Is it important, cant really find much info.
Even when I've bought previous rings, it was a dimension I was never asked for and have never had any issues. It's just the Diamonds have a shallower depth than anything I've measured.
As AES Racing have completely failed to supply me with new rings I bought and paid for over 3 months ago, I now need a new set for my rebuild
Diamond seem to struggle to reply to emails too.
I have a new set of Total seal gapless rings here though I bought for an older engine but never used. They are same bore, same thickness etc....
But measuring old pistons vs current, ring groove depth seems to vary quite a bit.
The Diamond rings previously used seem to be slightly thinner with the groove being around 20-25thou deeper than each ring ( top/second )
If I were to use the Total Seal rings on the same pistons there would only be around 10 thou from this same measurement.
Older JE/Wiseco pistons Ive used have much deeper groove depths again.
Obviously the rings will never be fully squeezed into the ring groove...but how much free space should there be behind the rings ? Is it important, cant really find much info.
Even when I've bought previous rings, it was a dimension I was never asked for and have never had any issues. It's just the Diamonds have a shallower depth than anything I've measured.
The info that you're looking for is in the Total Seal catalog or tech papers. IIRC you must have .005 minimum clearance behind the ring. So if you have a .150 ring groove depth the largest maximum radial thickness if the piston ring would be .145.
Any do's or dont's with regards to these ?
As AES Racing have completely failed to supply me with new rings I bought and paid for over 3 months ago, I now need a new set for my rebuild
Diamond seem to struggle to reply to emails too.
I have a new set of Total seal gapless rings here though I bought for an older engine but never used. They are same bore, same thickness etc....
But measuring old pistons vs current, ring groove depth seems to vary quite a bit.
The Diamond rings previously used seem to be slightly thinner with the groove being around 20-25thou deeper than each ring ( top/second )
If I were to use the Total Seal rings on the same pistons there would only be around 10 thou from this same measurement.
Older JE/Wiseco pistons Ive used have much deeper groove depths again.
Obviously the rings will never be fully squeezed into the ring groove...but how much free space should there be behind the rings ? Is it important, cant really find much info.
Even when I've bought previous rings, it was a dimension I was never asked for and have never had any issues. It's just the Diamonds have a shallower depth than anything I've measured.
As AES Racing have completely failed to supply me with new rings I bought and paid for over 3 months ago, I now need a new set for my rebuild
Diamond seem to struggle to reply to emails too.
I have a new set of Total seal gapless rings here though I bought for an older engine but never used. They are same bore, same thickness etc....
But measuring old pistons vs current, ring groove depth seems to vary quite a bit.
The Diamond rings previously used seem to be slightly thinner with the groove being around 20-25thou deeper than each ring ( top/second )
If I were to use the Total Seal rings on the same pistons there would only be around 10 thou from this same measurement.
Older JE/Wiseco pistons Ive used have much deeper groove depths again.
Obviously the rings will never be fully squeezed into the ring groove...but how much free space should there be behind the rings ? Is it important, cant really find much info.
Even when I've bought previous rings, it was a dimension I was never asked for and have never had any issues. It's just the Diamonds have a shallower depth than anything I've measured.
Last edited by handyandy496; Feb 25, 2015 at 08:54 AM.
Staging Lane
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 90
Likes: 39
This is the correct answer. You can run a lil less radial wall in a given ring groove but not usually a larger radial wall and the rings can never stick out of the groove at all. You know you have the wrong radial wall for sure at that point!
Staging Lane
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 90
Likes: 39
Any do's or dont's with regards to these ?
As AES Racing have completely failed to supply me with new rings I bought and paid for over 3 months ago, I now need a new set for my rebuild
Diamond seem to struggle to reply to emails too.
I have a new set of Total seal gapless rings here though I bought for an older engine but never used. They are same bore, same thickness etc....
But measuring old pistons vs current, ring groove depth seems to vary quite a bit.
The Diamond rings previously used seem to be slightly thinner with the groove being around 20-25thou deeper than each ring ( top/second )
If I were to use the Total Seal rings on the same pistons there would only be around 10 thou from this same measurement.
Older JE/Wiseco pistons Ive used have much deeper groove depths again.
Obviously the rings will never be fully squeezed into the ring groove...but how much free space should there be behind the rings ? Is it important, cant really find much info.
Even when I've bought previous rings, it was a dimension I was never asked for and have never had any issues. It's just the Diamonds have a shallower depth than anything I've measured.
As AES Racing have completely failed to supply me with new rings I bought and paid for over 3 months ago, I now need a new set for my rebuild
Diamond seem to struggle to reply to emails too.
I have a new set of Total seal gapless rings here though I bought for an older engine but never used. They are same bore, same thickness etc....
But measuring old pistons vs current, ring groove depth seems to vary quite a bit.
The Diamond rings previously used seem to be slightly thinner with the groove being around 20-25thou deeper than each ring ( top/second )
If I were to use the Total Seal rings on the same pistons there would only be around 10 thou from this same measurement.
Older JE/Wiseco pistons Ive used have much deeper groove depths again.
Obviously the rings will never be fully squeezed into the ring groove...but how much free space should there be behind the rings ? Is it important, cant really find much info.
Even when I've bought previous rings, it was a dimension I was never asked for and have never had any issues. It's just the Diamonds have a shallower depth than anything I've measured.
Thread Starter
9 Second Club
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 13,616
Likes: 185
From: Norn Iron
Diamond have said the 0.150" rings that I appear to have are quite fine
Although the new rings I bought from AES...that I was told were in stock ready to ship from last October finally arrived. Mind you, the top ring set were dated 19 Feb 2015. Strange. I guess Total Seal must future date their products on rare occasions.
Mind you...seems a bit daft posting a package all the way from the US, 3 months after ordering with something as important as head studs missing from it.
Not to mention the fact it was supposed to be here at least 2 months ago.
Either way, I now have at least 2 ring sets to choose from, they're both same anyway so no big deal. At least I can assemble part of the engine now !
As to whether AES will ever send the head studs I've paid for 3 months ago is another matter.
Although the new rings I bought from AES...that I was told were in stock ready to ship from last October finally arrived. Mind you, the top ring set were dated 19 Feb 2015. Strange. I guess Total Seal must future date their products on rare occasions.
Mind you...seems a bit daft posting a package all the way from the US, 3 months after ordering with something as important as head studs missing from it.
Not to mention the fact it was supposed to be here at least 2 months ago.
Either way, I now have at least 2 ring sets to choose from, they're both same anyway so no big deal. At least I can assemble part of the engine now !
As to whether AES will ever send the head studs I've paid for 3 months ago is another matter.
