question about piston rings

[camarov696]

im going to be rebuilding an engine soon. 97 engine with about 120,000 on the clock. Putting an abbott cam all new gaskets( obviously lol) new bearings. keeping stock pistons but wanna upgrade the rings. I will be running a 75-100 shot of N20 and maybe one day a 150 shot. my question is which rings would be good and what size? thanks in advance!

[Choppers]

Re: question about piston rings

I would not just put rings in a motor. You really need to check the walls to make sure they are straight. (Usually a machine shop). Replacing rings with worn sidewalls is a NO,NO and will cause you problems down the road with blow by. I would maybe even hone the cyclinder out a little if its outta whack at all. You might be good but you might be bad you never know on the sidewalls.

This is my opinion "why do it if you are not going to do it right."

Hope this helps I understand if you don't want to have it checked but it would be a peace of mind if I were you.

[cam98aro]

Re: question about piston rings

I would not just put rings in a motor. You really need to check the walls to make sure they are straight. (Usually a machine shop). Replacing rings with worn sidewalls is a NO,NO and will cause you problems down the road with blow by. I would maybe even hone the cyclinder out a little if its outta whack at all. You might be good but you might be bad you never know on the sidewalls.

This is my opinion "why do it if you are not going to do it right."

Hope this helps I understand if you don't want to have it checked but it would be a peace of mind if I were you.

with the engines they build today, i think this is somewhat older advise.. yes, you are correct, but i highly doubt that an engine with 120,000 miles on it will have out of true cylinder bores, especially a stock one. this goes back to the mid 70's

for instance, i have a chevy block at home from 75' or so and it was taken out of a motor home with 140,000 miles and all of the bores are spot on with no taper, and some of the engines that ford built back then were known to still have hash marks on the cylinder walls after 200,000 miles.

but i do agree with getting it honed, it HAS to be honed to install rings in order for the rings to properly break in, if it is not honed, the new rings will perform just as bad as the old.

to break in the rings, the engine has to be placed on a load, which is usually engine braking to properly seat them

[Choppers]

Re: question about piston rings

I totally disagree with you in doubting the motor is perfect and true in the cylinders. you don't know how the motor has been treated or if it has had spray. I will guarantee you at least one cylinder will need a little work. But to install the rings properly it needs a good hone.

[camarov696]

Re: question about piston rings

well i agree with both of you on doing the job right lol.. i dont want any problems down the road, i can guarantee though that it has never had spray. the previous owner is a good friend of mine. i do have a friend at a machine shop though. would stock rings hold the nitrous and the other mods? or would i have to go with aftermarket?

[Pewter02Camaro]

Re: question about piston rings

Hastings makes stock replacement rings. The top ring is a moly ring. Thats what i used when i had my shortblock put togheter and i spray my car.

[Choppers]

Re: question about piston rings

to be honest with you. Depending on how much nitrous you want to spray I would even suggest rebuilding the motor(new bearings and pistons). Nitrous will find any weak spot in a motor. You will already have the motor out. So I would just do it all at once and be done with it instead of putting it back in and 5k miles later pulling it back out to replace seomthing else. I would just save your money untill you can do a full rebuild. Thats my .02.

[Pewter02Camaro]

Re: question about piston rings

to be honest with you. Depending on how much nitrous you want to spray I would even suggest rebuilding the motor(new bearings and pistons). Nitrous will find any weak spot in a motor. You will already have the motor out. So I would just do it all at once and be done with it instead of putting it back in and 5k miles later pulling it back out to replace seomthing else. I would just save your money untill you can do a full rebuild. Thats my .02.

Why new pistons? I can deff understand all new bearings and rings, but as far as pistons go I cant see the need. unless they are damaged I wouldn't replace them unless your going to be throwing some serious power at them. I have stock rods Pistons and i can spray the car all day long no issues. As long as the car is tuned proporly i wouldn't worry about it. IMO don't spend more than you have to but don't skimp either, you can find a nice balance and still come out ahead.

[cam98aro]

Re: question about piston rings

Why new pistons? I can deff understand all new bearings and rings, but as far as pistons go I cant see the need. unless they are damaged I wouldn't replace them unless your going to be throwing some serious power at them. I have stock rods Pistons and i can spray the car all day long no issues. As long as the car is tuned proporly i wouldn't worry about it. IMO don't spend more than you have to but don't skimp either, you can find a nice balance and still come out ahead.

i agree,this is a v6, not a 700 horsepower drag car running a 400 shot

[camarov696]

Re: question about piston rings

Why new pistons? I can deff understand all new bearings and rings, but as far as pistons go I cant see the need. unless they are damaged I wouldn't replace them unless your going to be throwing some serious power at them. I have stock rods Pistons and i can spray the car all day long no issues. As long as the car is tuned proporly i wouldn't worry about it. IMO don't spend more than you have to but don't skimp either, you can find a nice balance and still come out ahead.

how big of shot do you run? and which kit are you using? I have a dynotune dry kit from my last car. im not planning on ever going over a 150 shot. bearings and rings are a must IMO. and of course the fuel system being im running a dry shot. as far as tuning goes i need to find a reputable shop in my area with a dyno. but im planning on doin this the right way, because i really like this car lol. thanks for all the help so far guys! and there will be pics during the build!

EDIT: If anyone knows of a good shop in the NJ area, PLEASE let me know

[Choppers]

Re: question about piston rings

Well i can tell you from every experience i have had with building any motor pistons wear according to the side wall(if they are out of wack at all the piston will normally be). They can even be lop sided at times. They can be worn on one side more than the other or at the top more and not the bottom. Sorry but I am just telling you what i do. I don't care if its a 4 banger making 150hp. If I do something I do it right. Each to their own. I try to do stuff so I won't have to do it later and so I will know I have a good and stout engine for whatever mods I need to do down the road and not have to worry about "Well **** I cheaped out on that part will it hold?". I won't respond to this thread anymore because it seems everything I have said and been tought to do is a waste(which in some peoples eyes maybe). I didn't say replace rods I mean you can slide by without them. But pistons. If they are fine then roll with it but I would get them tested to make sure they are true.

[Pewter02Camaro]

Re: question about piston rings

how big of shot do you run? and which kit are you using? I have a dynotune dry kit from my last car. im not planning on ever going over a 150 shot. bearings and rings are a must IMO. and of course the fuel system being im running a dry shot. as far as tuning goes i need to find a reputable shop in my area with a dyno. but im planning on doin this the right way, because i really like this car lol. thanks for all the help so far guys! and there will be pics during the build!

EDIT: If anyone knows of a good shop in the NJ area, PLEASE let me know

Ive run as big as a 125 but thats as far as i'm willing to go, our intake manifolds are prone to pooling if you go any higher or at least thats what im told. It's a NX 125 shot wet kit.

[Choppers]

Re: question about piston rings

I am going to run a 100 shot within the next year.

[Pewter02Camaro]

Re: question about piston rings

Well i can tell you from every experience i have had with building any motor pistons wear according to the side wall(if they are out of wack at all the piston will normally be). They can even be lop sided at times. They can be worn on one side more than the other or at the top more and not the bottom. Sorry but I am just telling you what i do. I don't care if its a 4 banger making 150hp. If I do something I do it right. Each to their own. I try to do stuff so I won't have to do it later and so I will know I have a good and stout engine for whatever mods I need to do down the road and not have to worry about "Well **** I cheaped out on that part will it hold?". I won't respond to this thread anymore because it seems everything I have said and been tought to do is a waste(which in some peoples eyes maybe). I didn't say replace rods I mean you can slide by without them. But pistons. If they are fine then roll with it but I would get them tested to make sure they are true.

As far as i know nobody has said your wrong. There's no need to stop offering your opnions, this is not a competition just a discussion showing both sides of the debate. I welcome new opinions because I don't always think of everything or at least thats what my wife tells me, LOL

Why new pistons? I can deff understand all new bearings and rings, but as far as pistons go I cant see the need. unless they are damaged I wouldn't replace them unless your going to be throwing some serious power at them. I have stock rods Pistons and i can spray the car all day long no issues. As long as the car is tuned proporly i wouldn't worry about it. IMO don't spend more than you have to but don't skimp either, you can find a nice balance and still come out ahead.

...

If the pistons are worn or like you said lopsided etc... I would consider that damaged. As far as power goes there are plenty of people making good numbers on stock pistons.

[Choppers]

Re: question about piston rings

no doubt but I am just saying he needs to really sit down and think about what hes going to do. Stock pistons should be fine unless hes building a really good motor. I would use stock again unless i found a good aftermarket for less or same price.