Dick:
The gapless rings do allow for expansion and yet are gapless,
that is what is clever about the design. One design works like this
(this is ASCII artwork showing the two ends of the ring as installed in
the piston)
------ -------------
| |________ Gapless
|________ |
------------- ----------
------- --------
| |
| | Conventional
---- -------------
Simply stated, there is a "step" in each tip of the ring. When
installed in the piston the steps overlap such that there is no open
path for the exhaust gases, but the tips of the ring are free to slide
past each other as the ring/piston expand. Very clever. In my ASCII
artwork above it looks like there is a gap in the vertical direction,
but in fact there is none.
Total Seal uses a completely different design, here is the web
page describing their technology:
http://www.totalseal.com/TechPage.aspx#trGaplessPistRings
Total Seal uses a second ring to seal the gap, rather than the
stepped ends on a single ring.
Racers like em because they are supposed to give you the extra
horsepower or two. They don't care about cost, but power and durability
are everything. I have no idea how much more the gapless rings cost...
Vance
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-6pack@Autox.Team.Net [mailto:owner-6pack@Autox.Team.Net] On
Behalf Of Sally or Dick Taylor
Sent: October 24, 2007 11:52 PM
To: Greg Perry
Cc: 6pack@autox.team.net
Subject: Re: [6pack] Total seal piston rings
Greg---I've seen the Total Seal Piston Ring ads, and wondered how they
work. The idea of not letting any of the combustion gasses get past the
rings sounds like a good idea. Still, we have aluminum pistons in a cast
iron block. It would seem that some ring gap is necessary as the pistons
and rings expand. I have never tried gaps of less than .010. Too
chicken.
Let us know if you get these and how they accomplish this no-gap setup.
Dick
|