Piston Ring Question

Discussion in 'The Bench' started by Brian, Jul 16, 2019.

  1. Brian

    Brian Displaced VA Hillbilly

    I ran into a problem putting together a 302 Ford truck engine this morning. Broke one of the top rings stuffing the pistons in the block. Now I find out that sealed power does not offer individual cylinder ring sets for the metric rings used in the 87 and newer EFI truck engines. This is a low budget build I am doing to get a truck going for someone--cleaned it all up, honed cylinders, polished crank, cleaned original pistons, and putting together with new bearings and rings.
    I was able to find an individual cylinder set of Hastings rings for this, but they are .030 over. What would happen if I filed the gap on the .030 over top ring to match the other top rings and used it in the std bore with the std piston? Another complete set of rings is $75 and it outside of the budget for this build. I realize that the roundness of the ring will change very slightly by being compressed .030" more, but is it enough to matter on a stock build where I just honed the cylinders and reused pistons?
     
  2. 1972Mach1

    1972Mach1 Just some M.M.O.G. guy.....

    You can get a single cylinder set from NAPA:

    https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/SEPWE458K30?keywordInput=pisring

    https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/SEPWE458K40?keywordInput=pisring

    I've never heard of anyone filing an oversize ring down to fit a standard bore, I'd think the ring wear would be extreme and oblong, with severe wear on the sides 90 degrees away from the gap. If it's a budget build, you don't want to do it twice. I've been there and done that, skimping where I shouldn't made me do the job twice, and I could've had a lot better parts for that price. Buy the right size ring set and only do it once. You're saving yourself and the customer time and much money in the long run.
     
  3. Brian

    Brian Displaced VA Hillbilly

    The two you linked too at NAPA are .030 and .040 oversize respectively. I need std and can't seem to find it in a single cylinder set.
     
  4. 1972Mach1

    1972Mach1 Just some M.M.O.G. guy.....

    Let me keep looking, or try giving the ring manufacturer a call or e-mail. Explain you broke one. Even the big companies are pretty understanding and willing to help out on something like that. I bet you'll get a single ring set direct from them no problem.

    EDIT: Another thing to try, call your local machine shops and see if they have an incomplete set they've got sitting around. I've gotten a couple individual cam bearings that way.
     
    Last edited: Jul 16, 2019
  5. yachtsmanbill

    yachtsmanbill Well-Known Member

    Luke... dont you think a file fit ring would work for this? I know the O.D.'s are ground to size, but there may be a better chance of wall to circumferential ring continuity (!!!) if youre in control of the fit. JMHO... ws
     
  6. 1972Mach1

    1972Mach1 Just some M.M.O.G. guy.....

    Unless we're talking about something I don't know about, file fit rings are still for a certain bore size. If he gets rings for a bore size that is bigger than what the engine has, no matter what end gap he makes, it's still going to have too much pressure pushing out. It may run forever, but I wouldn't chance it myself especially when working on a vehicle for someone who is on a limited budget and can't afford to dig into it again if something goes wrong. If the cylinders are massively out or round or tapered, he might be ok with a bigger ring, but again, I wouldn't do it. And I'm the king of running hacked together stuff........
     
  7. yachtsmanbill

    yachtsmanbill Well-Known Member

    I thought it was HERE where I read something about this like last week. Hell, I'd solder the gap together on the OS ring, and spin it on the lathe to make it smaller, then pop the solder off and clean it for the gap. We are master hackers! ws
     
    1972Mach1 likes this.
  8. chrome yellow

    chrome yellow Well-Known Member

    Can’t you just use one of the old top rings? Or is that s really bad idea for some reason.
     
    Mark Demko and TexasT like this.
  9. 1973gs

    1973gs Well-Known Member

    Seventy five dollars now or gamble that in the near future, pull the engine, pull it apart, hone cylinder,( if your'e lucky), gaskets, oil , and still have to buy rings. Plus, it isn't even $75 if you deduct the cost of the single set of rings that you still have to buy. More than likely, if it has problems in the future, repairing damage to the cylinder would require a machine shop.
     
  10. wkillgs

    wkillgs Gold Level Contributor

    The Federal Mogul site wasn't very informative, I did get a pn.
    If it's the E-458K set, they're $55 from Summit:
    https://www.summitracing.com/parts/slp-e-458k

    Or try the Hastings site and search:
    https://www.hastingspistonrings.com/assets/files/p/2019-hastings-americas-catalog.pdf

    I came up with pn 4726 for 1996-2001 302 cid with 1.2mm rings. You can buy a single, there's one on eBay for under $15.
    https://www.ebay.com/itm/Dodge-360-...ZIAAOSwKldc5aqf:sc:USPSFirstClass!18923!US!-1

    If that doesn't work out, I'll bet you can buy a single from a Ford dealer.
    Good luck!
     
  11. Mark Demko

    Mark Demko Well-Known Member

    That's what I'd do if possible
     
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  12. Brian

    Brian Displaced VA Hillbilly

    Thanks for the input and advice everyone. I finally got up with Federal Mogul and they got me in touch with the Hastings Rep (they all sell to each other), who got me in touch with a distributor that could get me a single cylinder set from hastings. With cost of the set ($12), shipping ($16), and the Hastings charge to pull a part off the shelf ($6.5), it cost me almost $35 to get that one ring.
    I would have re-used one of the old top rings if I still had them--they went out with the trash the day before I broke this one!
    Just FYI, I broke a Total Seal file-to-fit ring several years ago on the file machine, and called up Total Seal, and they sent me a single replacement ring for less than $10. They were a very easy, and helpful company to deal with. So if in the future you get a chance to guy Total Seal, I recommend them!
     
    1972Mach1 likes this.

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