I put new rings on a piston on my bike. I didn't measure ANYTHING. I was so pleased when I started the bike and it ran. It ran pretty well. I did 500 miles on it, including some quite tricky off-road stuff. It smoked a little. It smoked a lot. It used oil quicker than petrol. But it ran. I decided the oil use was more than your everyday break-in consumption so tore it down again and did some measuring. The rings I fitted were standard. I'd assumed the piston was standard. It wasn't. It was a full 1mm oversized. The piston ring end gaps were like the black hole at the centre of the universe. I'm still a bit baffled the bike ran at all, nevermind scrabbling up rocky mountain tracks and a few laps of a race circuit. '85 XT350. Love it.
The piston ring's end gap allows for expansion of the ring due to the engine heating up, much like adjusting valve lash in an engine with mechanical lifters. without the gap, the rings could start expanding outward into the bores and kill the engine. great videos btw, ive watched almost all of them and appreciate the condensed learning within them.,
Not to mention, on a performance engine the temps are usually higher which expands the rings even more. That is probably THE major limiter on how much nitrous an engine can take, given the tune is perfect.
It truly is amazing how piston rings lasts so long in car engines these days. The amount of work they have done in high mileage vehicle and yet still have little to no compression loss or blowby must be a credit to good design and probably oils that look after these thin little bits of metal.
my cousin and I are rebuilding a 1990 Mazda B2200 pickup. He thinks piston 3 is leaking oil into the combustion chamber, he can't be wrong because it looks nasty. I'm glad for videos like this and others that will be helpful as we continue with the rebuild.
Wow! Technical automotive videos without an obnoxious introduction nor any irrelevant details such as what you had for breakfast or your most recent sikkk modz. Thank you sir, this is great! Subbed!
U saved my day .... has a GTI with high oil consumption. ...and wasn't getting what's the real issue for vehicle . Almost 2 weeks of restless days. The piston rings are worn out and oil gets to combustion area and burns off... In high speed oil just becomes so thick and in 20km around 2 liter if oil gets burned .... But in low RPM .... there's no oil burning .... actually your video made me get the actual problem for the vehicle .... Anyway it's expensive to rip apart the engine and reassemble. ....going to do it anyway ...... Thanks a ton ...mate
Working on a single cylinder engine from a mid '30s italian motorbike I was taught that, when it is time to reassemble it, it is better to place the "gaps" in the rings 180° one from another. That way you increase the lenght of the path for the blowby gases therefore reducing it. I also think that the rings can somehow rotate when the engine operates so that may be partially true.
Breaking in a new engine is something everyone and their brother has an opinion about. One might say to take it easy on a new engine for the first 1k miles. Another might tell you to drive it like you stole it in order to "set" the piston rings to the cylinder walls. This video got me thinking about those opinions. You should make a video on the proper way to break in an engine (if their is one) and what you should or should not do. Love your videos by the way!
Could you could do a video on hard vs soft break-ins? Manufactures tell you to soft break-in engines, but since learning about glazing and ring seating I don't know who to trust any more. I feel like manufactures just tell you to soft break-in to cover themselves, even if it's worse for performance. But I wouldn't risk an engine on it without an experts opinion. Thanks.
Break ins have to be soft. You want your engine to be used in all kinds of RPMs in different gear ratios. Also do not stay on to certain RPM for no longer than 20-30 seconds. Do not red line your engine and do not let it idle for more than 30 seconds. So generally use different gear ratios at different speeds while not going above the recommended RPM and while not cruising for extended periods of time.
Soft break in is the way to go if you have built the motor your self. The first 50 miles are the most important for future bore and ring life. That said I don't know about a factory build as I think they run them before they sell to the public and do not build to the tight tolerance that an independent engine builder should do.
even if you have a brand new engine it will have Blowby cause the rings can't seal 100%, some of the combustion gases will enter the crankcase it will mix with the engine oil so that's why you need to change the oil on regular bases and also causes presure buildup in the crankcase. For control of the pressure inside it, a PCV (positive crankshaft ventilation) is used to vent the crank case,is an inexpensive and often overlooked component until you wake up whit a blown oilpan or valve cover :)),i know this vid was about piston rings but as you can see one thing thake you to another and so on,good video by the way \m/
Great video, thanks for the explanation. Those look like the newer type of rings that you can install without any tools. They look so flexible which helps reduce drag on the cylinder wall and increase mpg (change oil regularly to prevent sticking). It would be nice to have technology to produce an artificial layer of diamond surface in the bores and a coating on the rings to inhibit wear.
Just now learning about something I have used for 55 years. So what happens to the gas that passes into the crankcase and is pressure inside the crankcase a problem. Thanks for your presentation. Extremely well done.
I installed total seal rings before , and now blowby is minimal. I think I'd have em made for any engine I ever redo. It's also Good enough to have a open crankcase vent and not get gassed out by it inside the car.
You deserve so many more subscribers, the way you break things down and explain them is awesome. I love learning about and having the knowledge of why engines and processes work. Keep up the awesome work coming from someone interested in mechanics and mechanical engineering!
Some last longer than others but with regular oil changes/general maintenance you should go at least 200k miles without oil consumption. My dads Mitsubishi Outlander has 305k and I don't think it consumes any oil, maybe a very little amount.
Engine oil also helps to create a seal within the rings. The scraper also helps with portioning the amount of oil that is allowed to stay in the cylinder to keep things sealed and lubricated. Interestingly enough, the pistons on aircraft engines do not have those weep holes because you're dealing with bore sizes over 5".
This is was a well explained video! Loved how he used an actual piston to explain the workings of the rings. I’m learning little by little and never cared for this stuff till I became a car owner and now want to learn the basic stuff and how they work so I can properly care for my first ride. Thanks man for this helpful information much appreciated!
Wouldn't the power stroke in the cylinders be more susceptible to blowby squeezing past the rings rather than during the exhaust stroke, when the spent combustion gases already has exited the cylinders? Blowby happens when combustion pressures seep past the rings and make its way through the crankcase and out the vents, taking oil vapors with it into the intake, correct?
+OCTurboJoe I know what you're getting at but the blowby doesn't "squeeze past the cylinders" in one go. Look again at the diagrams in the video. It happens in two stages: 1) The exhaust stroke forces the rings DOWN letting gases into the top part of the gap. 2) The compression stroke now forces the rings UP which releases those gases out of the bottom of the gap. It is a two-stage process. It would take an incredible amount of power to blast those gases past the rings in one go. Maybe if the rings were very worn though.... Hope that helps.
+Boysya Exactly. It's more pronounced with force induction. A newly built engine with a fresh set of rings can still have a good amount of blowby. Pressure will always find the past to least resistance, especially through rings on the power stroke. The exhaust stroke is more like negative pressure where gases exit the chamber vs positive pressure pushing past the rings, into the crankcase, and out the vents. This video probably explains blowby at idle whereas I am explaining excessive blowby under load.
How about thicker & lighter oils on new & old car engines. EO provides lubrication and sealant between piston ring and cylinder wall. Since older engines have bigger wear and tear, does using thinner EO affect compression and combustion. vise versa. Thanks
+Tango965 Yes, engine oil provides sealing between the piston ring and the cylinder wall. If the wear on the piston ring is excessive, no oil will help sealing it. If the wear is small, a thicker oil may help. The property of engine oil that matters is High Temperature High Shear (HTHS). You can find HTHS in an oil's product datasheet. An oil with high HTHS will form a better seal between the piston ring and the cylinder wall.
very helpful video for people like me who only have hands on knowledge of suspension/brakes/wheels etc. but haven't done any sort of internal engine work.
+Bill T Labyrinth seal is not used in piston ring. I think it is generally made of elastomer (rubber) material, so it can withstand the heat and pressure experienced in a piston. They are generally used in shaft seal in rotating machines.
Although I already knew what piston rings do; I wanted to watch this video and it is as accurate and even better than I could have described their purpose! 😊
When the vacuum pressure of the intake manifold/throttle body is in the correct range, the PCV valve opens and uses that vacuum to pull blowby gasses out of the crank case and pull it in to the intake and reburn it. Its an emission control system. If that valve is stuck open, you could suck up engine oil and cause all kinds of issues with the intake or throttle body.
If you ONLY just wanna replace the piston rings, and only them, the simplest way is to do the following: 1. lift your car up 2. remove the oil pan and the oil pump 3. remove the crank from the block (be sure to put the bearings if they are ok in the exactly same position and place) 4. extract each piston by simply just dragging it down the bore 5. replace the rings in each piston (obviously) 6. put back the pistons the same way you got them out (might be tricky if your not an skilled mechanic) 7. put everything back the same order you got them out and readjust the timing. Depending on the type of the engine this operation can be done in let's say 5-6 hours on a 4 or 6 cilinder engine, so you don't have to tear the whole engine apart, and cost's way less.
Excellent video! You could go a bit further and describe ring flutter and more issues caused when crankcase pressure is allowed to be present creating instability creating more wear and blow-by. This is common when tuner shops don't understand the functions of the PCV system and proper crankcase evacuation. You always want to pull suction on the crankcase to maintain proper stability and ring seal. When this is defeated and breathers added to "vent" your allowing pressure to be present. It is not hard to install a crankcase evacuation system that pulls suction at all times emulating a belt driven vacuum pump for the street. Good video!!
simply that the heat is more intense and builds up on one side of the block more than the other, so there are more cooling issues to overcome. Plus the oil, if not regularly topped up with the correct type will mean that there is more wear on the seals. Not to mention that the wall exhausts in the standard 13b design mean that they are regularly passing over the port which can cause some wear when it touches the other side (overcome in the renesis MSP design). The oil used however, even in this design doesn't burn 100% cleanly, so the residues that build up will cause seal wear and degradation over time. 2T Premixed fuel and SOHN oil reservoirs do help in reducing these types of wear, which would be nice to see this channel cover.
Finished watching all your videos explaining how cars work! Thank you for everything you've taught me, I basically knew nothing before I came across this channel.
I think your videos are awesome there are informative and thoroughly explained by yourself, but sometimes you go through quite quick in videos and i get a little lost & confused as im no engineer like yourself, but i am learning slow but surely..;) Thanks again for sharing your knowledge of engineering and mechanics, and please keep the vids coming. Peace.
Great video as always. Picking up where you stopped the video at....id love to see a video about worn piston rings vs carboned up ring grooves leading to rings no longer able to seal correctly. Basically, a comparison as to which is the actual culprit for blow-by. Much like how warped rotors is a generic term for uneven rotors, when the rotors are not actually warped.
What I find amazing is that many older Saturns have defective oil control rings and burn oil like crazy and yet if you keep the oil level correct they will last a very long time. Logic dictates that these engines have newer oil, due to frequent additions, than most cars on the road, hence the longevity.
I really like that we have such an educated car nerd. Great explanation of how it works. 30 year mechanic myself you do pretty well. Only seen a couple of your videos that were questionable. My question is can you actually wrench?
Ok you are amazing. I’m going to be an aircraft mechanic and I love watching your videos because it always answers my questions. The internet doesn’t go this in-depth into the properties of piston rings and the small movements of piston rings and so forth. Thank you so much!!!
WOW you are awesome Engineering explained. I discussed this topic with someone from the comment section like 2 days ago. And some said this topic was to small. yet you made the video I wanted. thank you so much. Have a nice day :)
1:25 Those holes actually work the other way around. Oil gets injected from under the piston by the nozzles and it travels through the piston into the cylinder walls. That will help lubrication of the walls and cool the piston down to avoid cracking due to high EGT.
You are more than Welcome. How can i reach you if i have any question to ask or some related points? * I am new to this field and i am building my knowledge.
@@batoolhijjawi3114 Use comment section, otherwise he probably doesn't have time for off channel questions. Also many well educated people watch these videos and may be able to answer your questions as well.
Hey J, will you do a vid on more detail also, including ring gap and rotational positioning of rings in relation to main piston pin and each other 30'- 60' -90' ? In other words...don't line them up or expect loss and leakage. JK.
thanks, now i have more understanding of why my 06 ducati s2r is blowing black smoke, my mechanic said i will have to tear down the whole engine which is too expensive for me. the cost is not justifiable, i might as well get a new bike without the hassle. i will do more diagnostic and see if i can reduce the black smoke without tearing the engine down.
Thank you Mr EE! I am now convinced that Hyundai/Kia s 4 cylinder motors excessive oil consumption is due to poor piston ring design or poor materials. Some are affected at 25000 miles! Gamma, Nu and Theta both turbo and non turbo models from 1.6 to 2.4! I think their valve stem seals are bad design in those engines too.
It's amazing how an engine can have a smoky exhaust pipe & the compression rings are still good,I have a Nissan RB30 engine that was like that,the oil control rings were stuck in the grooves meaning that the oil was bypassing the oil control ring & getting pumped up into the combustion chamber,all that motor needed was new rings & gaskets to fix that problem. I have an old 92500 series Briggs & Stratton engine that doesn't burn much oil but it has a poor running condition which isn't fuel or ignition related. The compression tested at 90 PSI yesterday which was down from its previous 97 PSI reading so the engine is almost a no run one,it needs new rings !!!! My dad had a few of the old Holden sixes which probably just needed a re ring,the engine didn't blow smoke out of the tailpipe but it did fume like there's tomorrow out of the oil filler/breather cap & left a big stain under the bonnet & the engine coated with oil. So I'd say that was a case of worn compression rings causing excessive blow by as well. In a post mid 1976 Holden in Australia, it possibly would've burned oil out of the tailpipe & saturated the air filter with oil.
Great video! Can you do a follow up vid explaining why blow by might be a good thing (turbocharging). I would also like to know how is the Total Seal rings different. Thanks!
+Chris Nalley blow by is not good. at all. causes oil vapor to be sent through you pcv lines and back into you engine, causing detonation. what "could" be good about is in turbo applications?
Total Seal makes conventional rings, and then they make several differing sets of "gapless" rings. Those gapless rings are essentially two rings in one piston groove. The upper ring has a "step" on it that the lower ring sits on. The gaps of each ring are offset by 90° or so just like conventional rings, and since they're both in the same groove it effectively closes off both gaps - hence, a gapless piston ring. Also, that tiny bit of combustion pressure that gets behind the upper ring helps push the combo tighter against the cylinder wall thanks to that internal step that the lower ring sits on. Gapless rings produce a little bit more friction than conventional rings, which could all but negate any power gains in smaller engines. But even so, the far better seal against blowby would make for a cleaner engine, meaning you could possibly even skip an oil change here and there if you wanted. Plus, low-tension oil control rings and low-friction coatings on cylinder walls would negate any frictional losses due to running gapless rings, freeing up more power.
Can we see a video on Air Oil separators? I'm curious as to how it limits crank case pressure and what it does in the long run and why we should run one.
+30lbs of boost_jpg The main function of an air oil separator is to remove oil mist in blowby before the blowby is returned to the intake. If it is not present, oil will find its way to the intake, eventually fouling the valves, throttle and other intake components in the long run. Having a return from the crankcase via PCV valve to the intake is the mean to limit crankcase pressure.
+30lbs of boost_jpg I'm going to assume you drive a turbo'd car considering your user name? Another reason why an oil/air separator is important in your case is that oil vapor reduces your effective octane rating which will make turbo cars more prone to detonation. Removing the oil from the vapor helps avoid that as well.
30lbs of boost_jpg You could! Another solution is to just run the breather hose from your valve cover to the ground. It's not eco-friendly and probably against state laws, but just another solution done, especially on older cars that become turbo'd from projects.
AFAIK the bottom ring is the compression ring, and central & top rings are oil rings. Compression ring consists of 2 parts with a spring ring in the middle. Recently rebuilt my 2.2 20 valve turbo AAN engine and that was exactly the case.
+Rihards Zeimanis From the top, first compression, second compression, oil ring. In more than 30 years professionally in automotive and motorsports I have never seen a ring stack with the oil ring at the top. The oil control ring is typically a three piece unit consisting of an upper and lower scraper with an spring/expander in between.
Excellent Video as always..my question is, is there anyway to set you piston rings after hone your cylinders walls. I did a leak-down test on a few of my cylinders and found that a few of them was low 20 percent leakage. the leak down showed that the air was coming from the crankcase. so i took them out, hone out all the cylinder that were low. the pistons and rings are now back in which brings me back to my question above. thanks for your feedback
I like how he began using actual parts to help us easily understand his teachings. Thanks man.
I put new rings on a piston on my bike. I didn't measure ANYTHING. I was so pleased when I started the bike and it ran. It ran pretty well. I did 500 miles on it, including some quite tricky off-road stuff. It smoked a little. It smoked a lot. It used oil quicker than petrol. But it ran. I decided the oil use was more than your everyday break-in consumption so tore it down again and did some measuring. The rings I fitted were standard. I'd assumed the piston was standard. It wasn't. It was a full 1mm oversized. The piston ring end gaps were like the black hole at the centre of the universe. I'm still a bit baffled the bike ran at all, nevermind scrabbling up rocky mountain tracks and a few laps of a race circuit. '85 XT350. Love it.
I bet you had good compression
The piston ring's end gap allows for expansion of the ring due to the engine heating up, much like adjusting valve lash in an engine with mechanical lifters. without the gap, the rings could start expanding outward into the bores and kill the engine.
great videos btw, ive watched almost all of them and appreciate the condensed learning within them.,
Not to mention, on a performance engine the temps are usually higher which expands the rings even more. That is probably THE major limiter on how much nitrous an engine can take, given the tune is perfect.
Not to mention also that without relief of the compression through those gaps, the piston rings could have a tendency to crack and fail.
It truly is amazing how piston rings lasts so long in car engines these days. The amount of work they have done in high mileage vehicle and yet still have little to no compression loss or blowby must be a credit to good design and probably oils that look after these thin little bits of metal.
I appreciate these videos you put out, and explaining in such a way that the layman can understand. You are the Carl Sagan of mechanical engineering.
+mygreenzebra He's not nearly as poetic as Sagan =p Which isn't a bad thing, just a fact.
+mygreenzebra Some of you are too kind with your compliments! Really appreciate it, glad you enjoy the videos!
my cousin and I are rebuilding a 1990 Mazda B2200 pickup. He thinks piston 3 is leaking oil into the combustion chamber, he can't be wrong because it looks nasty. I'm glad for videos like this and others that will be helpful as we continue with the rebuild.
Wow! Technical automotive videos without an obnoxious introduction nor any irrelevant details such as what you had for breakfast or your most recent sikkk modz. Thank you sir, this is great! Subbed!
+jsamhall that's my style, glad you enjoy it, thanks for subscribing!
U saved my day .... has a GTI with high oil consumption. ...and wasn't getting what's the real issue for vehicle . Almost 2 weeks of restless days. The piston rings are worn out and oil gets to combustion area and burns off...
In high speed oil just becomes so thick and in 20km around 2 liter if oil gets burned ....
But in low RPM .... there's no oil burning .... actually your video made me get the actual problem for the vehicle ....
Anyway it's expensive to rip apart the engine and reassemble. ....going to do it anyway ......
Thanks a ton ...mate
Now, me and the mad scientist got to rip apart the block and replace the piston rings you fried.
Working on a single cylinder engine from a mid '30s italian motorbike I was taught that, when it is time to reassemble it, it is better to place the "gaps" in the rings 180° one from another. That way you increase the lenght of the path for the blowby gases therefore reducing it. I also think that the rings can somehow rotate when the engine operates so that may be partially true.
Do a video on Subaru's new platform explained and how it matters to future owners
I AGREE
Breaking in a new engine is something everyone and their brother has an opinion about. One might say to take it easy on a new engine for the first 1k miles. Another might tell you to drive it like you stole it in order to "set" the piston rings to the cylinder walls. This video got me thinking about those opinions. You should make a video on the proper way to break in an engine (if their is one) and what you should or should not do. Love your videos by the way!
Could you could do a video on hard vs soft break-ins? Manufactures tell you to soft break-in engines, but since learning about glazing and ring seating I don't know who to trust any more. I feel like manufactures just tell you to soft break-in to cover themselves, even if it's worse for performance. But I wouldn't risk an engine on it without an experts opinion. Thanks.
Break ins have to be soft. You want your engine to be used in all kinds of RPMs in different gear ratios. Also do not stay on to certain RPM for no longer than 20-30 seconds. Do not red line your engine and do not let it idle for more than 30 seconds. So generally use different gear ratios at different speeds while not going above the recommended RPM and while not cruising for extended periods of time.
Soft break in is the way to go if you have built the motor your self. The first 50 miles are the most important for future bore and ring life. That said I don't know about a factory build as I think they run them before they sell to the public and do not build to the tight tolerance that an independent engine builder should do.
soft break in if you dont want your rings to seat
@@seemssafe2995 Bruh, you're replying to a 6 year old comment.
@@6Twisted ill do it again
Show your videos to my students as they are well present and easy to understand.
That kinda ended abruptly. I was hoping for more details.
AeroElectro that’s what she said
@@GreatGrandmasterWang LOL!! 🤣🤣
@@GreatGrandmasterWang 🤣🤣🤣😂
even if you have a brand new engine it will have Blowby cause the rings can't seal 100%, some of the combustion gases will enter the crankcase it will mix with the engine oil so that's why you need to change the oil on regular bases and also causes presure buildup in the crankcase. For control of the pressure inside it, a PCV (positive crankshaft ventilation) is used to vent the crank case,is an inexpensive and often overlooked component until you wake up whit a blown oilpan or valve cover :)),i know this vid was about piston rings but as you can see one thing thake you to another and so on,good video by the way \m/
I would enjoy a video regarding valve seals.
Great video, thanks for the explanation. Those look like the newer type of rings that you can install without any tools. They look so flexible which helps reduce drag on the cylinder wall and increase mpg (change oil regularly to prevent sticking). It would be nice to have technology to produce an artificial layer of diamond surface in the bores and a coating on the rings to inhibit wear.
Could you please make a video about breaking a car in? Mythbusting or the usual.
The topic is so controverse, but also so important.
Cheers!
dude! 30 seconds into this video and I knew this was going to be informative, good job
Could you do a video on hard break-in of an engine vs soft break in please?
Just now learning about something I have used for 55 years. So what happens to the gas that passes into the crankcase and is pressure inside the crankcase a problem. Thanks for your presentation. Extremely well done.
No mention as to clocking the rings for proper ring position to ovoid excessive blow by?
( I learned more than I chimed in! Thanks! )
I installed total seal rings before , and now blowby is minimal.
I think I'd have em made for any engine I ever redo.
It's also Good enough to have a open crankcase vent and not get gassed out by it inside the car.
You deserve so many more subscribers, the way you break things down and explain them is awesome. I love learning about and having the knowledge of why engines and processes work. Keep up the awesome work coming from someone interested in mechanics and mechanical engineering!
Thank you! Your videos are awesome!
What is the life expectancy for piston rings? How many miles/ how many years?
Thanks again!
Timo
Some last longer than others but with regular oil changes/general maintenance you should go at least 200k miles without oil consumption. My dads Mitsubishi Outlander has 305k and I don't think it consumes any oil, maybe a very little amount.
Engine oil also helps to create a seal within the rings. The scraper also helps with portioning the amount of oil that is allowed to stay in the cylinder to keep things sealed and lubricated. Interestingly enough, the pistons on aircraft engines do not have those weep holes because you're dealing with bore sizes over 5".
sir, can u make a video on Hard break-in. I really like how you explain things with engineering point of view, appreciate it so much...thanks
This is was a well explained video! Loved how he used an actual piston to explain the workings of the rings. I’m learning little by little and never cared for this stuff till I became a car owner and now want to learn the basic stuff and how they work so I can properly care for my first ride. Thanks man for this helpful information much appreciated!
Hi, Can you make a video on how to remove these blow by gases from your engines' sump I am talking about the ventilation of crank case.
Thanks
Wow, I was expecting it to be longer, but it was actually 3:50!
So good job explaining that time went super fast.
no fast and furious remarks? interresting
We thank you for all the efforts you put to explain to us every time
Wouldn't the power stroke in the cylinders be more susceptible to blowby squeezing past the rings rather than during the exhaust stroke, when the spent combustion gases already has exited the cylinders? Blowby happens when combustion pressures seep past the rings and make its way through the crankcase and out the vents, taking oil vapors with it into the intake, correct?
+OCTurboJoe I know what you're getting at but the blowby doesn't "squeeze past the cylinders" in one go. Look again at the diagrams in the video. It happens in two stages:
1) The exhaust stroke forces the rings DOWN letting gases into the top part of the gap.
2) The compression stroke now forces the rings UP which releases those gases out of the bottom of the gap.
It is a two-stage process. It would take an incredible amount of power to blast those gases past the rings in one go. Maybe if the rings were very worn though.... Hope that helps.
+Boysya Exactly. It's more pronounced with force induction. A newly built engine with a fresh set of rings can still have a good amount of blowby. Pressure will always find the past to least resistance, especially through rings on the power stroke. The exhaust stroke is more like negative pressure where gases exit the chamber vs positive pressure pushing past the rings, into the crankcase, and out the vents. This video probably explains blowby at idle whereas I am explaining excessive blowby under load.
+roadrunnerblink he didnt describe it well, in fact most blowby is caused by bad ring to cyl seal, not by a tiny amount of space behind the ring
You are the Mr. Wizard of cars!
How about thicker & lighter oils on new & old car engines. EO provides lubrication and sealant between piston ring and cylinder wall. Since older engines have bigger wear and tear, does using thinner EO affect compression and combustion. vise versa. Thanks
+Tango965 Yes, engine oil provides sealing between the piston ring and the cylinder wall. If the wear on the piston ring is excessive, no oil will help sealing it. If the wear is small, a thicker oil may help. The property of engine oil that matters is High Temperature High Shear (HTHS). You can find HTHS in an oil's product datasheet. An oil with high HTHS will form a better seal between the piston ring and the cylinder wall.
icekk007 if you have VVT heavier oil will not be good for your solenoids
very helpful video for people like me who only have hands on knowledge of suspension/brakes/wheels etc. but haven't done any sort of internal engine work.
In other words...if you own an STi, buy an Air Oil Separator.
Might do a vid on the different configurations of rings, cyl walls, Nikasil, cast iron and the advantages and disadvantages. Great video as it is.
I believe piston rings in an engine form whats called a "labyrinth seal"
+Bill T Labyrinth seal is not used in piston ring. I think it is generally made of elastomer (rubber) material, so it can withstand the heat and pressure experienced in a piston. They are generally used in shaft seal in rotating machines.
Bill T Labbys are on rotating assemblies as was mentioned, but they definitely don’t have to be soft like rubber.
Yes it is a variation of the labyrinth passageway, you don't line up the ring gaps all in a row for this reason
Although I already knew what piston rings do; I wanted to watch this video and it is as accurate and even better than I could have described their purpose! 😊
you should go wayyy deeper into this subject. You could make a 30 min video if you went deep.
+fightfanian how deep? Really deep?
+Mike Halpert balls deep
+fightfanian like hodgetwins sugar walls deep?
+fightfanian A Basic overview gets the job done in :05 minutes. Well Done!
+fightfanian I was actually expecting that...
I was going to ask about Engine knock but then found your video from 2014.. Nice one lad, you have us nicely covered..
explain PCV valves please
+TheWolvesCurse essentially, you have a valve on your crankcase that lets air/fuel out of your crankcase back into the intake manifold.
When the vacuum pressure of the intake manifold/throttle body is in the correct range, the PCV valve opens and uses that vacuum to pull blowby gasses out of the crank case and pull it in to the intake and reburn it. Its an emission control system. If that valve is stuck open, you could suck up engine oil and cause all kinds of issues with the intake or throttle body.
If you ONLY just wanna replace the piston rings, and only them, the simplest way is to do the following:
1. lift your car up
2. remove the oil pan and the oil pump
3. remove the crank from the block (be sure to put the bearings if they are ok in the exactly same position and place)
4. extract each piston by simply just dragging it down the bore
5. replace the rings in each piston (obviously)
6. put back the pistons the same way you got them out (might be tricky if your not an skilled mechanic)
7. put everything back the same order you got them out and readjust the timing.
Depending on the type of the engine this operation can be done in let's say 5-6 hours on a 4 or 6 cilinder engine, so you don't have to tear the whole engine apart, and cost's way less.
Blowby = Volkswagen TSI engines
Yep
Excellent video! You could go a bit further and describe ring flutter and more issues caused when crankcase pressure is allowed to be present creating instability creating more wear and blow-by. This is common when tuner shops don't understand the functions of the PCV system and proper crankcase evacuation. You always want to pull suction on the crankcase to maintain proper stability and ring seal. When this is defeated and breathers added to "vent" your allowing pressure to be present. It is not hard to install a crankcase evacuation system that pulls suction at all times emulating a belt driven vacuum pump for the street. Good video!!
Why are cylinder rings so much more reliable and durable than the Apex seals in a wankel engine?
simply that the heat is more intense and builds up on one side of the block more than the other, so there are more cooling issues to overcome.
Plus the oil, if not regularly topped up with the correct type will mean that there is more wear on the seals. Not to mention that the wall exhausts in the standard 13b design mean that they are regularly passing over the port which can cause some wear when it touches the other side (overcome in the renesis MSP design). The oil used however, even in this design doesn't burn 100% cleanly, so the residues that build up will cause seal wear and degradation over time.
2T Premixed fuel and SOHN oil reservoirs do help in reducing these types of wear, which would be nice to see this channel cover.
***** ***** thanks! That makes sense;)
Fantastic explanation. Thanks for the great diagrams and use of real components for demonstration.
what metal are these rings made of? I always thought they're rubber.
Same
Not since the early 1900s has that been true. They are made out of a very hard, springy, and brittle steel.
+Jean-Paul Veillon Oh!
cast iron
+Mohamed Li Usually cast iron for the Top Ring, cast iron or steel for the Second Ring, and steel or stainless steal for the Oil Control rings
Great quick explanation. Easy to see why you should do regular oil changes.
Finished watching all your videos explaining how cars work! Thank you for everything you've taught me, I basically knew nothing before I came across this channel.
I think your videos are awesome there are informative and thoroughly explained by yourself, but sometimes you go through quite quick in videos and i get a little lost & confused as im no engineer like yourself, but i am learning slow but surely..;)
Thanks again for sharing your knowledge of engineering and mechanics, and please keep the vids coming.
Peace.
Great video as always. Picking up where you stopped the video at....id love to see a video about worn piston rings vs carboned up ring grooves leading to rings no longer able to seal correctly.
Basically, a comparison as to which is the actual culprit for blow-by.
Much like how warped rotors is a generic term for uneven rotors, when the rotors are not actually warped.
Nice explanation and very good graphics/picture quality, Thanks a ton man 👍
You are like my personal teacher. Keep up the good work!
What I find amazing is that many older Saturns have defective oil control rings and burn oil like crazy and yet if you keep the oil level correct they will last a very long time. Logic dictates that these engines have newer oil, due to frequent additions, than most cars on the road, hence the longevity.
you may be on to something grasshopper.................
I really like that we have such an educated car nerd. Great explanation of how it works. 30 year mechanic myself you do pretty well. Only seen a couple of your videos that were questionable. My question is can you actually wrench?
Ok you are amazing. I’m going to be an aircraft mechanic and I love watching your videos because it always answers my questions. The internet doesn’t go this in-depth into the properties of piston rings and the small movements of piston rings and so forth. Thank you so much!!!
I picked up a book. How to build and blue print an engine. I highly recommend.
I would just like to have you teach me everything engineering. I really learn a lot from you.
Thanks, this channel really helped me a lot to learn for my Job in Shell.
WOW you are awesome Engineering explained. I discussed this topic with someone from the comment section like 2 days ago. And some said this topic was to small. yet you made the video I wanted. thank you so much. Have a nice day :)
Thank you man. Really good presentation. Like someone mentioned-thanks for using an actual piston along with your illustrations.
1:25 Those holes actually work the other way around. Oil gets injected from under the piston by the nozzles and it travels through the piston into the cylinder walls. That will help lubrication of the walls and cool the piston down to avoid cracking due to high EGT.
Lol, WRONG
I want to tell you that your channel is ((amazing)). Thank you for you efforts from Qatar Univeristy
I appreciate it, thanks for watching!
You are more than Welcome.
How can i reach you if i have any question to ask or some related points?
* I am new to this field and i am building my knowledge.
@@batoolhijjawi3114 Use comment section, otherwise he probably doesn't have time for off channel questions. Also many well educated people watch these videos and may be able to answer your questions as well.
@@williambranham6249 Thanks for your suggestion.
now u have to make a video of the proper way to install pistons rings and which way the gap in rings needs to be in the piston.thanks good video
Hey J, will you do a vid on more detail also, including ring gap and rotational positioning of rings in relation to main piston pin and each other 30'- 60' -90' ? In other words...don't line them up or expect loss and leakage. JK.
Wow great explanation. Easy to understand.
Great video, easy to understand and quick
thanks, now i have more understanding of why my 06 ducati s2r is blowing black smoke, my mechanic said i will have to tear down the whole engine which is too expensive for me. the cost is not justifiable, i might as well get a new bike without the hassle. i will do more diagnostic and see if i can reduce the black smoke without tearing the engine down.
Your a good teacher I thought I was actually doing it by my self
You should have also explained that the gap on the rings should be misalined from the top to reduce the leak of gases entering the crankcase.
good video and very good presentation. Even I who dont know anything can understand.
Always great demonstration and explanation. Great job!!!
+Engineering Explained you should do a video on the pros and cons of low profile tires versus standard tires.
I just learn this from your channel. Great one!
I would be really thankful to you sir if you explain about the practical working of manual transmission of bikes and cars
Excellent video as always.
Boii keep it up you are my mentor technically.....
Why don't you consider making a video on Positive Crankcase Ventilation system, its different designs and tuning solutions to deal with blow-by ?!
Excellent, concise presentation, thank you! Loved the whiteboard in particular.
Really good demonstrations in all your videos. Thanks
Thank you Mr EE! I am now convinced that Hyundai/Kia s 4 cylinder motors excessive oil consumption is due to poor piston ring design or poor materials. Some are affected at 25000 miles! Gamma, Nu and Theta both turbo and non turbo models from 1.6 to 2.4! I think their valve stem seals are bad design in those engines too.
this vid answered a few questions I've been thinking of. subscribed!
Great explanation. Thanks for the great vid. Subscribed!
A video about dry sump soon please?
It's amazing how an engine can have a smoky exhaust pipe & the compression rings are still good,I have a Nissan RB30 engine that was like that,the oil control rings were stuck in the grooves meaning that the oil was bypassing the oil control ring & getting pumped up into the combustion chamber,all that motor needed was new rings & gaskets to fix that problem.
I have an old 92500 series Briggs & Stratton engine that doesn't burn much oil but it has a poor running condition which isn't fuel or ignition related.
The compression tested at 90 PSI yesterday which was down from its previous 97 PSI reading so the engine is almost a no run one,it needs new rings !!!!
My dad had a few of the old Holden sixes which probably just needed a re ring,the engine didn't blow smoke out of the tailpipe but it did fume like there's tomorrow out of the oil filler/breather cap & left a big stain under the bonnet & the engine coated with oil.
So I'd say that was a case of worn compression rings causing excessive blow by as well.
In a post mid 1976 Holden in Australia, it possibly would've burned oil out of the tailpipe & saturated the air filter with oil.
Do a video on blow of valves please, advantages and disadvantages and what you general think of them from an engineering state of mind ?
+steve hadjivostas
Use them, size them properly and save the compressor turbine and bearings.
Very informative video thank you.
Thank you so much mate.... this clears my doubt about blow by
Great video! Can you do a follow up vid explaining why blow by might be a good thing (turbocharging). I would also like to know how is the Total Seal rings different. Thanks!
+Chris Nalley blow by is not good. at all. causes oil vapor to be sent through you pcv lines and back into you engine, causing detonation. what "could" be good about is in turbo applications?
Total Seal makes conventional rings, and then they make several differing sets of "gapless" rings. Those gapless rings are essentially two rings in one piston groove. The upper ring has a "step" on it that the lower ring sits on. The gaps of each ring are offset by 90° or so just like conventional rings, and since they're both in the same groove it effectively closes off both gaps - hence, a gapless piston ring.
Also, that tiny bit of combustion pressure that gets behind the upper ring helps push the combo tighter against the cylinder wall thanks to that internal step that the lower ring sits on.
Gapless rings produce a little bit more friction than conventional rings, which could all but negate any power gains in smaller engines. But even so, the far better seal against blowby would make for a cleaner engine, meaning you could possibly even skip an oil change here and there if you wanted. Plus, low-tension oil control rings and low-friction coatings on cylinder walls would negate any frictional losses due to running gapless rings, freeing up more power.
this man is always good ,,,,,thank you sir
Extremely helpful, thank you man.. so my motors junk unless I replace those rings... good to know.
Great Video! Nice, simplified explanation! Keep up these great videos!
Very beautiful & rational explanation, thak you!❤
Can we see a video on Air Oil separators? I'm curious as to how it limits crank case pressure and what it does in the long run and why we should run one.
+30lbs of boost_jpg The main function of an air oil separator is to remove oil mist in blowby before the blowby is returned to the intake. If it is not present, oil will find its way to the intake, eventually fouling the valves, throttle and other intake components in the long run. Having a return from the crankcase via PCV valve to the intake is the mean to limit crankcase pressure.
+30lbs of boost_jpg I'm going to assume you drive a turbo'd car considering your user name? Another reason why an oil/air separator is important in your case is that oil vapor reduces your effective octane rating which will make turbo cars more prone to detonation. Removing the oil from the vapor helps avoid that as well.
+TWIRKNOLOVE looks like I need to save up for an IAG AOS then.
30lbs of boost_jpg You could! Another solution is to just run the breather hose from your valve cover to the ground. It's not eco-friendly and probably against state laws, but just another solution done, especially on older cars that become turbo'd from projects.
AFAIK the bottom ring is the compression ring, and central & top rings are oil rings. Compression ring consists of 2 parts with a spring ring in the middle. Recently rebuilt my 2.2 20 valve turbo AAN engine and that was exactly the case.
+Rihards Zeimanis
From the top, first compression, second compression, oil ring.
In more than 30 years professionally in automotive and motorsports I have never seen a ring stack with the oil ring at the top.
The oil control ring is typically a three piece unit consisting of an upper and lower scraper with an spring/expander in between.
That was a Excellent explanation
Helpful and easy to understand vid. Thx.
Excellent Video as always..my question is, is there anyway to set you piston rings after hone your cylinders walls. I did a leak-down test on a few of my cylinders and found that a few of them was low 20 percent leakage. the leak down showed that the air was coming from the crankcase. so i took them out, hone out all the cylinder that were low. the pistons and rings are now back in which brings me back to my question above. thanks for your feedback
thank you for sharing technical knowledge...