How do you check for bad rings?

[V8killR4U]

How do you check to see if the rings in your motor are good? Do you simply verify this by a visual check or is their some type of guaging tool used to check rings? Dumb ? but i need to know what to look for when i pull my motor, and make sure its not a ring causing my problems

 

[Turbo6inKY]

If they're damaged, you'll see it, along with the scoring on the cylinder wall.

 

[49-blues]

How about a compression test?

 

[Jerryl]

Not sure what the problem is with your car, but these are the ways to verify rings.
Before you pull and open the motor, complete a compression (as mention earlier) and a leak-down test. This will tell you quite a bit. If you pull the motor, look for cylinder scoring, measure the ring gap and make sure the rings are installed correctly.

 

[BOOSTEDGNs]

also check the shape of your pistons

Alan

 

[441120]

rings

As stated, compression test and leak down test.
With leak down, easy way is TDC valves closed, blow compressed air into cylinder and listen for air escaping.
Bad rings, air into crankcase.
Bad intake valve, air into intake.
Bad exhaust valve, air into exhaust pipe.
There is an actual leak down tester if you want numbers.
Once engine apart, check ring gaps for stagger on piston.Also check end gap,and scoring/damage.
Check cylinder for taper and roundness as well as scoring etc.
Check piston/bore clearance, was cylinder honed slightly oversize with stock pistons?
If rebuilding check out Total Seal gapless.
Good luck

 

[V8killR4U]

Well I spent my weekend pulling the motor and breaking the motor down.

I found a blown HG on the #4 piston. It blew into the valley.

I checked the cyl. wall and they looked good no visable damage. And the cyl wall felt smooth to the touch as well.

The pistons looked fine.

I didnt see any scarring onthe cyl walls so i assumed the rings were good. (Is that right?)

The heads looked fine even though I thought a stuck valve or ill adjusted rocker arm was causing the white smoke out the breather initially

The lifter rods were not bent

I do have pics which Ill post real soon.

My question is this still. Was the blown HG causing the smoke from the breathers.

Should I still have the heads checked. The valves/springs/ and rocker arms? Are the rocker arms easy to adjust, if so how do i do this so when im ready to bolt them back on the heads?

What else should i be checking for? or do while the motor is broken downa nd out the car. The motor is new by the way a few 1/4 passes and about 100 street miles.

Are there instructions on how to replace and button the motor back up are their any special rules or anything i have to do when replacing the HG.

Any recommendations on what type of HG I should replace the old ones with ?

 

[V8killR4U]

Would 15lbs of boost on 93 oct caused me to detonate??????????????

 

[NJVetteGuy]

When the HG blows into the valley, that's where all your compression goes. The compression that leaked into the valley found its way out through the breather. You found the problem.

 

[NJVetteGuy]

As far as special procedures, just use good gaskets and torque to spec in order. If they are stock TTY bolts, you need to replace them. If they're ARPs you just need to clean them and apply new sealer(optional). If the rockers/shafts are stock there is no adjustment, just torque to spec. Make sure you tighten the rocker shaft bolts alternately a little at the time to prevent damage to the shaft. I've used felpro gaskets the last couple times I've done them on friends' cars without issues. Get a scanmaster so you can monitor knock, you can detonate on 93 @ 15PSI if your tune is off(too much timing, running lean, etc.).

 

[V8killR4U]

The heads are studded so I dont need to order new bolts right? Also they are adj rocker arms (rollar motor).
I only was running 15lbs on 18 degree timing. Could it be in the chip? I just got a new version of the ME chip so maybe theres some bugs that need to be worked out of it?

Originally posted by NJVetteGuy
As far as special procedures, just use good gaskets and torque to spec in order. If they are stock TTY bolts, you need to replace them. If they're ARPs you just need to clean them and apply new sealer(optional). If the rockers/shafts are stock there is no adjustment, just torque to spec. Make sure you tighten the rocker shaft bolts alternately a little at the time to prevent damage to the shaft. I've used felpro gaskets the last couple times I've done them on friends' cars without issues. Get a scanmaster so you can monitor knock, you can detonate on 93 @ 15PSI if your tune is off(too much timing, running lean, etc.).

 

[NJVetteGuy]

With studs, you MUST use sealant on the threads or you will have unexpected coolant leaks into the engine. Not good for engine life With the adjustable rockers, I usually go 1/4-1/2 turn past zero lash. It's not just timing on the chip, it could be a/f as well. If you're too lean the HG will be toast shortly thereafter. Do you remember the O2 readings, or possibly have an EGT probe on the car?

 

[V8killR4U]

Originally posted by NJVetteGuy
With studs, you MUST use sealant on the threads or you will have unexpected coolant leaks into the engine. Not good for engine life With the adjustable rockers, I usually go 1/4-1/2 turn past zero lash. It's not just timing on the chip, it could be a/f as well. If you're too lean the HG will be toast shortly thereafter. Do you remember the O2 readings, or possibly have an EGT probe on the car?

O2's were around 790-820 at times. But u cant always trust the o2 reading on the scanmaster?

 

[frankg]

I would take the heads to a machine shop and have the decks checked for flat. Or just have them shave a few thousands off to be sure they are 100% flat. If the deck of the block and the head bottoms aren't flat you will blow alot of head gaskets. Frank

 

[V8killR4U]

Heads are at the machin shop being deckd

 

[HellOnWheels]

The heads are studded so I dont need to order new bolts right?





If the studs are ARP pieces, did you do a minimum of 5 torque cycles (torque to specs then loosen) before doing the final torque per ARP's recommendation? If not that could be the problem of losing the head gasket w/o noticable detonation??

Good luck,