JE Ring gap to big?

[mk3-4-me]

ok so i measured my gap of my piston JE chromoly piston rings a couple days ago. Now i read what they are supposed to be on JE's website and IJ's recomodation of how to gap it.

So the motor i have was just recently built (dude said about 10k on it, but it looks brand new inside, still see cross hatching on evrythin in there) and im redoing it on a count of a spun bearing as most of you prolly know from my other posts. :aigo:

Its a fully built motor, and bored .20 over. The top rings all measure good being around .017. But all my bottom rings are all around .030ish... :yikes: from the math of how many thousandths to add per in of bore, it says to be around .018 and with IJ's input of adding another .005 to the gap for higher horsepower it should be around .023 of a gap.

So im talking to this guy at my work that builds bikes n cars, and he said it shouldnt be a big deal.... ya theres gunna be a very little loss of power, but nothing that should matter. He said better bigger than smaller, especially if its gunna be a high HP motor.

So i want to know what you guys think about my 2nd ring being a little bigger than the recomended gap size.

i had the car running before and it had great vacuum, and pulled strong! never checked compression, but it felt good. lol

Im gunna check it again, and by the way, i put the rings in by pushing it down with the piston to try and keep it level.

thanks and let me know what you guys think.

A new set of rings are $160 and i dont really wanna buy a new set if theyre not needed.

 

[hvyman]

If your rebuilding it anyways you might as well just get new rings and hone the cylinders barely and get a fresh seal.

The top ring is the main compression ring the bottom one is just a secondary.

 

[mk3-4-me]

Ok well being that my main compression ring is well within spec, is it absolutely necissary to get new rings? I know exactly what your saying, but I can't keep spending all this money and time! It's been like 2 months of different bs! Lol I know you can't cheap out on these motors, but this isn't really cheapin out cause they're still newer, just a lil bigger gap on the secondary....

All I'm trying to figure out is, whether I will be bangin my head down the road after I get it running? Or will it be fine like this... ?

I'll get some new readings tomorrow.

 

[mk3-4-me]

Ya I just remeasured two before the heat and skeeters took a toll! Lol but the 2 that I did came out to .030 smoothly, or .031 kinda tight but still slides... Idk exactly which one to use, but non the less it's still over...

Let me know... I think I'm just Gunna use em, but I just wanna make sure it's just a minimal risk of me havin to rebuild it I guess!

Thanks!

 

[hvyman]

To me anyways its seems like a half ass way of going about things. You have it apart, your replacing the bearing, why not do the rings? Wait 2 more weeks till you have a check or some shit and buy new rings.

 

[mk3-4-me]

Ok I get what your saying, I really do. But I Really just cnt/dnt wanna wait for them and don't want to keep spending eveythin so fast! Lol

But if you think it's absolutely necissary to get new ones because they are gunna go bad or something then I guess I'll have to wait.

I'm reall just asking if the bigger gap is gunna affect it that much, nt if I should get new rings just cause it's out... Cause they're still newer rings, just the gap is a little bigger....?

I mean i guess what about just ordering the 2nd rings? Cause everything else is within spec... And that would be much cheaper! Lol

 

[hvyman]

Thats not even the point. If your going to run used rings you might as well not even buy any new ones. Its up to you man. You want to run them go for it.

 

[mk3-4-me]

Lol ya I thought that wasn't a good idea... Lol Idk I know I sound bad now... Lol but since the rings already seated, they are fine in that way, I'm just wondering about the gap being bigger that's all... If the bigger gap would cause problems...

Thanks for your input! I really do appreciate it! Lol

 

[mk3-4-me]

Has anyone else run a gap around this big on the second ring?

 

[mk3-4-me]

ok well after talking to the machinist that im sending my parts to he said i should buy new rings because of the bigger gap size. Not cause they are used... thats all i really wanted to know... i obviously know thats its a good idea to buy new rings if its all apart... i wasnt arguing about that, i was just wonderng if the bigger gap size was gunna be bad.

but you guys think i should buy a whole new set? or could i just buy the second rings...? cause theyre pretty expensive... lol but idk i guess if i dont hear from anyone soon ill just end up buying a whole set for 160 i think it is....


thanks!

 

[mk3-4-me]

ok i think im actually gunna just buy all the compression rings and reuse the oil rings... because i dont think those play as a big of a part as the compression rings do as far as seating and compression/blow by.... and it saves me 35 dollars! lol im draining my account this week so every dollar counts.

what do you guys think?

 

[mk3-4-me]

ok so i just oredered 6 top and second compression rings! im reuseing the oil rings because they are still good!

thanks let me know if you guys think that sounds good!

 

[hvyman]

Sounds better than your original plan. But 35$ aint much.

 

[mk3-4-me]

Ya I know... Lol but anything saved think week is a plus... Lol I still gotta pay for the welding and grinding of my crank, and oil coolant and what not next week before payday... Lol so wat ever..

But ya I feel more at ease now that I nought new ones I guess... Lol