RINGS 1/16 or .043

powerstrokeace wrote:guys i was at my buddies speed shop the other day and we got to talking about rings and they service about 6 engines of which some of there own and a very wealthy friend and they say from there dealings that the .043 ring pack is pretty good but its not a ring package for a bracket motor or NHRA class racing(super comp,super gas ,super street). they believe the .043 is something that might make it through a year at max but normally for them they have to freshen up there motors at least one throught out the season. these are top dragster and topsporman engines. but for the bracket racer it best to go with a 1/16 ring package. Just wonder what the thoughts are on this from this board.

ace

whitefield wrote:

IDT-572 wrote:Didn't the 5.0 HO come with .0625 rings? They went over 100,000 miles no problem.  Not race pressures though.

Yes they did!

dtimmer wrote:oh come on, you know as well as I do a well designed .043 ring pack will make more power. Less fiction as well.

I also believe there is no significant wear difference vs 1/16. There is, just not enough to warrant giving up free HP. Many go quite a few seasons on a set.

dtimmer wrote:

rmcomprandy wrote:
Have you witnessed an A-B-A dyno test to support what you bekieve...?    I HAVE ... on a 650 horsepower Chevy 355 inch small block engine. And, there is absolutely no power difference below about 6,800 RPM; (65 feet per second or so). And after 3 full weekends of GT-1 road racing there is definitely more wear with the .043" ring, especially BORE wear.
The .031" Dykes worked best for power and wear in almost all situations without gas ports.

Even so, when a part costs more money, (in this case rings & custom pistons), it is not FREE. Maybe not much but, NOT free.

Yes, I have. So there was a power difference above 6,800???  There is power in a well designed and properly used ring pack, you can't argue with that. Look at the rings a comp eliminator engine.

Road racing and Drag racing are two totally different worlds, you know that! lol. I didn't deny there wasn't more wear, just referring to the OP's application. We all know something that will last just fine for a few seasons of drag racing, could be destroyed in a few nights of road racing/circle track racing. We have a SBF D3 headed engine for a customer makes around 900hp use a 1mm ring pack, has been together 3.5 years bracket racing. Runs 8.60's every weekend out, never fallen off. Leak downs great, vacuum is good, blow by numbers haven't changed since dynoing.

Yea free was the wrong word. An .043 ring pack isn't a whole lot more than a 1/16" and is well worth it. The free part was just referring to the less friction by product I guess.

J.Toney wrote:So for tools like me, it much more than a matter of actual ring thickness, or even usage. Good thread and thansk for the input guys!

Wheelie58 wrote:I have personally run both ring setups at 4.625 and 4.675 with no bad results either way. Both of these applications used radial gas ports and relatively low tension oil rings with a dry sump and considerable crankcase vacuum.
It would be an interesting, however expensive A B A dyno test for the future.
The 618 has the skinnier rings and based on its performance, I will probably go that way on the 4.75" stroke engine that is on the drawing board.
Just my input...
Keith

460pulling wrote:Does a .043 ring setup require a vacuum pump and or gas ports?  Which gas ports work better? Through the top or above the top ring? Just wondering what the thoughts are on this.