DOHC Performance Piston Ring Options?

[BlueShift]

One of these days, I will actually have my engine back together. No, really...

I ordered the Sealed Power ringset for the later year pistons I was talking about earlier, and was dismayed to find out that they're ordinary iron rings (top ring is moly faced). The Perfect Circle set I ordered for my 91' spec pistons had steel rings with a moly topring. I want steel rings, damn it! At least give me ductile iron... For those unfamiliar, the 91-95 engines have a 1.5mm thick topring and second ring, and a 4.0mm oil control ring. The 96-97 pistons have a lower drag 1.2mm topring, a 1.5mm second ring, and a 3.0mm oil control ring.

I searched around, and it turns out that for the 96-97 application (my motor is 91, but I have 96+ pistons now), neither Dana or Federal-Mogul make a steel ringset for the later application! WTF? You'd think that with the improvements, that a tougher ring material would be a no-brainer. I don't exactly plan on battering my pistons and rings to death, but the extra strength of steel rings sounds like a good idea to me.

Question is, aside from Sealed Power or Perfect Circle, is there any other options for piston rings when it comes to the 96-97 spec pistons? Total Seal only appears to make a gapless second ring, but no topring if I'm reading them right. This may be a longshot - but has anybody ever bought rings for a later year motor that don't suck?

[timg]

RE: DOHC Performance Piston Ring Options?

No idea. I'm a fan of the earlier ones because it seems they would give a bit more detonation/knock resistance due to the thicker top ring.

Tim

[BlueShift]

No kidding, I'm almost regretting going to a thinner ring, but how often does detonation break piston rings anyways?

[timg]

Seems to happen fairly often on turbo cars when they run bad gas or too much boost. Same with cars that use Nitrous Oxide (bad gas or too big of a shot). Good tuning and decent PM can easily prevent this though.

For a NA car with stock pistons, it shouldn't matter.

Tim

[SappySE107]

Id stick with the moly rings myself but if you want iron, i guess custom will be the way to go. I dunno what total seal uses.

[BlueShift]

I was irritated that my premium Federal-Mogul ringset WAS iron (top ring had a moly face, but it's still an iron ring). I was under the impression that ordinary iron rings are old-skool technology?

Believe it or not, the ringset I had for the stock 91 pistons before I had to rebore were STEEL with a moly face - much tougher stuff. From what I've read: Cast Iron < Grey/Ductile Iron < Steel when it comes to strength. Unfortunately, cast iron rings are the only thing I can find for the 96-97 application.

I was just wondering if anybody got ahold of any really trick rings for the later year motor. I figure I might as well ask before I put it together with the normal rings.

[Wolf]

try hastings (sp) rings,if you can't find them ,try a machine shop

[CurtsLuminaZ34]

Gapless rings

I often thought about trying out a set those "gapless" rings go to:

http://www.totalseal.com/totalseal3.html