GAPTIZE YOUR JUNK? THE AP FOR GAP!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 ก.ย. 2024
- DIY TURBO LOW-BUCK MODS FOR BOOST. Do you gap before Takin' That Fool to Gapple Bees. Gaptize a Junkyard Turbo Motor? What is ring gap, why is it important and why do you increase when running boost? Do Junkyard motors need extra ring gap? Can you just boost and FULL SEND? Ring Gap-What it is, When and Why You Need it. Naturally we also cover how much you might need.
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If your ring gap is too big only you will know. If your ring gap is too small everyone will know.
Funny cause it's true!
justin parks Not always. I had a guy come into a shop I worked at years ago with a fresh build that wouldn’t start. Apparently he confused 30 thousandths with 3 tenths. Over 1/4 inch ring gap, zero compression. We all had a good laugh over it.
Lol! Words to build by! 👍
Unless we see ya burnin oil
Adam R imagine using a piece of keystock to measure your ring gap 😂
This man literally changed my sleep schedule lol.
I used to eat, breathe, and sleep this stuff....now I can't even sleep
Same man same
Same
Its the straight forwardness for me, no bs!
Yup
Who would want to argue with a man that has put on so many dyno hours? This is a college professor passing on the wisdom. I appreciate the lessons of your hard work.
Thanks for the videos Richard.
Hell yes
Richard gettin’ people learned again.
Biggest takeaway:
Heat closes ring gap; not boost. Closed ring gap is a bigger destroyer of pistons than power.
Boost makes heat, closes ring gap.
Biggest takeaway:
We never do what we say we're going to do....because boost is addictive
Power is heat, the more power a engine makes the more heat it makes, the more heat the more components expand like rings and tolerances close, I even increased bearing tolerances.
@@fascistpedant758 - that is shallow and incorrect. Cooled boost reduces heat under same given load, therefore boost does not create heat. Heat produced depends engine build, tuning, timing, fuel ratio, fuel type, ambient temperature, what you are doing with the motor, along with about 20 more variables. I tow heavy with a 2005 Dodge 5.9 Cummins at 600 hp, 1200 ftlbs torque and under 1400 deg egt. Stock would run 1450-1500 deg and 250 hp on dyno. I guess the name says it all...
@@Faolan161 "Under same given load" higher "cooled boost" pressure means greater mass air flow and leaner AFR's. A leaner AFR produces lower combustion temperatures. If you're running larger injectors, "under same given load", injection time will be shorter than that of the stock engine, also probably reducing EGT's. A gasoline engine producing More power at higher boost is quite different from a Diesel engine "under Same given load" at higher boost. With all the many variables being equal, higher boost produces more heat.
Had a LQ4 in my trans am and never gapped the rings. Kept creeping the boost up over time. Now the car is apart because I broke a ring land. Been apart for months. Had I gapped the rings I would likely still be driving the car and having a good ol time. Lesson learned. GAP THE RINGS GUYS ITS WORTH THE EXTRA FEW HOURS
Shannon Sisk did you check the gap after taking the failures motor apart? I broke the top ring land on my piston (gen 4 5.7) and when I checked the gap, it was .025 on the top ring. Likely detonation caused my issue.
Unfortunately ring gap won't cure detonation
TravisT TURBO GTO I did not check the gap. 15 degrees of timing on e85, although it was 11:1 compression. Who knows....it made 800whp so I would think it was heat related in the cylinder.
I love your in-depth explanations, not very many youtubers take their time with explaining all the little details like how you do. much appreciated! Have a Great day!!
It's like sitting talking to a buddy waiting for the BBQ to heat up.
Keep up the good work, I've learned more from your videos than I could ever imagine
And you just burnt your steak watching the vid..
I think after watching this i am going to go out and widen my gaps slightly before i put the heads back on. I'm around .024 on both top and bottom.
Edit: Done. Added gap. Now around .028 in all bores. Worth the little extra work now to maybe save the engine later.
Your description when adding boost is perfect. Yeah 6psi is all I’m going to run.... nek minit 15psi aaaand bang.
Lol! I can TOTALLY see myself in that comment!
You from nz?
Aussie bro
I picture Richard dressed as an old prophet telling us the unforseen future of many combos to help us. This man could put all his works together and call it performance bible.
Ya need Clearance Clarence, one of the absolute most important things in engine building
Nice change from just seeing charts. Would be nice if you could do other basic topics that most of us aren't exposed to every day like how to size a wastegate or BOV.
Wow - I've seen this explained a dozen different ways, but your approach is fantastic. I've been away from the engine building world for a number of years and this was a fantastic refresher.
You're completely right on all accounts. Boost is very addictive. x lbs is never enough once it works. 95% of failures I've seen on the BMW N54 engines look like rings closing.
This is one of the best videos done on these engines. It explains why one fellow can make a claim about an engine the rest of us think is BS--that fellow lucked out on the ring gap. I also liked that you pointed out the variable--E85 cools the incoming charge, that a nine second car isn't beating its engine to death all nine seconds, and so on.
Commenting then sharing with myself. This channel needs more love !
This guys the best in the business.
I fully expected Richard to say that when the rings heat up and expand until the gap closes that the problem is actually from when they continue to expand. Once they've lost all expansion room and continue to expand they both distort and increase pressure on the cylinder wall and that is what causes them to seize, start breaking things and ruin your day.
The clarification that it is cylinder/ring temperature that determines the ring gap needed rather than boost level is an important thing for people to understand.
As always good information.
clarified that many, many times
Once the ring end gaps butt, it's not just drag in the cylinder that hurts the piston, BUT it's ALSO the fact then when the ring end gaps butt together, the ring itself WILL turn into a "cup shape" when it can't expand anymore (it has to go somewhere) and then it puts extreme vertical pressure between the ring lands and can actually pop a chunk of piston off the edge of the top of it that is the exact width of the ring land.
Your the Man Brother Richard! When I grew up everything was Bolt On trial and error, Now we watch Dr Richard's Video's and no more Trial and Error, just results! Thank You so Much!
I used to steal wine coolers from my parents too. :P
Seriously though, I love your videos. I'm a water-cooled VW 4 cylinder guy and everything is relatable if you actually understand the data and what's being said. It's why I also love Engine Masters on MTOD. Accurate data is the best thing!
Ring gap is important. Anybody that has built a serious engine and bought pistons and rings has seen instructions for ring gap recommendations. The instructions tell you the recommended gap for what the engine will be used for. READ THE INSTRUCTIONS GUYS!
Thanks for sharing your knowledge sir. I want you to know that some people out here really do appreciate what you do. Some people would take all this valuable information to the grave with them or charge lots of money to tell someone, but you are here spoon-feeding it to us.
Well the funny thing is that in a Manual car the boost is self limiting because our clutches just can't handle outside their power limit. If you took you 7PSI to 16 PSI and don't replace your clutch properly you will know pretty much after the first rip.. you will need a new clutch. I am still working on trying to figure out super charger or a pair of cheap turbos.. also love the fact you did the silver state challenge. I was, more than a decade ago going to take my GTO to that. I know this is a year old video but this is a critical video. May it get even more resurrected views.
This is reassuring. I just rebuilt my engine and set the ring gaps to .035". Was a bit worried I had gone to far
Proper end gap varies with bore size...
One size does NOT fit all..
.030-.032 top gap , .028-.030 2nd gap are good 4in bore start points for motor that will occasionally be beaten hard or long. Sorta like shotgun takes the worry out of being close. Gapping ahead of the beating is much less expensive than fix/install 2nd motor.
Thank you Richard! I'm amazed how much the 'old school' hot rodding taboos have been crushed. These day, based on your videos, purchase a junkyard engine, with 100K plus miles(km), gap rings, boost and enjoy. I question if the taboos were based on lack of knowledge, experience, poorer quality parts, the effects of carburetors washing down cylinder walls, or if the credit belongs to great engineering & science.
At a guess I'd say a combination of quality & technology. Never seen a SBC with 100k on them that got rebuilt didn't get at least a .10 overbore. Also needed to be decked just to square them up. Even a New Crate Longblock needs to be decked. Casting technology and material strength has come a long way. Add in the efficiency difference of the SBC & LS and 100k just doesn't effect the LS the same. Even maintenance, or lack there of, has a different effect.
I can remember when an engine was considered junk because it had over 90k miles on it!!! Lol
@@kevinshiley9061 Even before that in many cases.
You make a good point about "what if I add another few lbs boost?".... guess I should heed and pull the 523 before I have a wild hair and boost it up... ring gapped for low boost, but I tow heavy as well....
Great info Richard! I appreciate your info!!
Cheers!
Thanks Richard, awesome as always.
I remember an old, old article about the effects of ring gap on static compression and power and what they found was there was almost no difference up to .050! (They took it to the extreme)
It also mentioned that losses in power from a lack of compression and blow by was mainly from a loss in ring tension, due usually to wear.
I think you are the first that dared to suggest either of these statements are true.
I'll be adding ring gap, not going to miss out on that insurance policy lol.
I ran a few of these before and after -no change in power curve
The loss of tension on a piston ring is more due to heat and cycling, than just general wear.
I’ll say it for you. If you run boost on a stock engine you have a high chance to but the rings with expansion and toasting the engine. You just do. If Russian roulette with your engine is fun to you. Go for it. If you want to give your engine the best shot at living take it apart and set the end gap.
Can you cover plugs for racing vs daily driver? That'd answer a bunch of questions for me for sure!
add plug indexing to
on an NGK, the last number is the heat number. for a street/strip daily driver, use a #5 in the 500hp range, a#6 in the 600 range, and a 7 im the 700 range. anything more than that is not a street strip daily driver, and should be dictated by your tuner.
@@Hijunk71 indexing puts the strap away from the crown of the piston in extreme cases where there is a negative deck clearance. Our 397 sbf is such an example of a case where stock deck height blocks are required, yet you want as much displacement for obvious reasons. Google car craft samtech mustang article. 906 hp all throttle no bottle baby
Agreed! We would take all motors apart to measure/adjust ring gap. My quotes were more $ than a local shop because of this.... Lost a few customers that wanted the ‘best’ price. Horsepower is always reliable on the lowest budget.....
I love learning while being entertained. WIN - WIN.👌🏻😊👍🏻
The most honest and informative guy out there just my opinion
So glad you made this video. Trying to explain this to some young rich kid roll racing and blaming the shop for there car blowing up was next to impossible. I think you explained it the best.
"You only want to build it once!" Ring gap advice please 🙏
New Speed pro hyper pistons and Hastings ring set for sbc 4.00" bore. My top gap is .028 and 2nd is .024"
10.3:1 CR N/A engine,
225/231 400/510 110 °LSA
probably will be put on a 104° int centerline. Figured that cylinder pressure info would help.
Maybe 400hp MAX!
What should I do? Find a +.005" set a file to fit?
Make 2nd match at .028"?
2nd gap to .030? Thank you for all your content. You've helped so many people. Its not lost on me.
Im definitely not an expert but i dont think you need to run that much gap in a NA relatively low power engine like that
Good video timing. I'm in the process of gapping the rings on my 5.3l whilst in lock down in England. I've gone for .025 top ring and .028 second ring.
I thought the top ring needed more because it's hotter (closer to combustion chamber)?
@@kevin9c1 that's what I thought but when I checked online it seemed that people are setting the bottom ring larger.
The theory with a larger second ring gap is to bleed the pressure between the rings so the top ring seals better.
@@bartpang top ring flutter. Old school. I believe it has been disproved.
@@bartpang If that were true wouldn't it be better to just not have the second ring?
Richard u are a wealth of information about the truth of auto engine building
One of the best vids you have done in respect to how important it is to check dimensions on a boosted motor, or any motor for that matter. I have learned this the hard way in the past. Excellent video.
If you dont want to run bigger ring gap thinking you risk excessive crank case blowby then ante up for some total seal "gapless" rings and if you want to really be sure go the steel ones as they make them for top or second applications, if you dont know or understand what they are then go to their website and read up, just a suggestion if you looking for an alternative
risking excessive crank case blow by?
total steal are a waste of money have been building race engines for 25yrs and everyone will line the ring gaps up!
I love this mans content always so in depth with knowledge keep it up !!
I run 30 thou in my 555 BBC with 20 lbs because it was expensive a pain to hook everything up and didn’t want to do it again right away and that was six years ago , I beat it at track , street cruise it constantly and love it . Previous engine was a custom short block 540 from an engine builder in Michigan to replace my boosted 496 where I asked for 30 thou . He said yes that’s a good idea and said he has not noticed a drop in cranking compression when he builds this gap and more so he built me it and shipped to Canada . I strapped on Dyno and and was going to pull a piston to double check gap but running short of time so didn’t . Ran it naturally aspirated first then strapped on ProCharger and first pull it I made eight ashtrays at 10 lbs boost and now engine needed a rebore . Gap was .024 . Moral of story besides proper ring gap is don’t trust anyone you don’t know and only some of the people you do know . Like Richard I’m not interested in Russian Roulette. I originally said 8 lbs was all I’ll ever run and 800 hp is enough, Ha .
Excellent job explaining the importance of ring gap. This is the reason so many viewers should subscribe to this channel. Great job Mr. Holdener
I LITERALLY DID THIS THE SAME DAY YOU UPLOADED THIS ON MY 5.3
JUST PUT UP MY VID
.0025" on the top
.0026/7 on the 2nd ring
the Tokyo Trans Am @ 14:51!!!???? Hell ya!
Love learning something new everyday about these engines, and power adders. Thanks Richard!
if you spent more than a month saving for the motor, if its your first time with forced induction, if its your first time tuning a car or you are depending on a local shop to tune it. If any ONE of those things are true, then spend the extra 8 hours and 150 bucks to take apart your motor, check the bearings, gap the rings, hell just set em at 20 if nothing, put hands on every part and torque it all back to spec, while your in there spend the extra 75 for a used corvette camshaft. Its piece of mind, its cheaper than your time, gas, back pain and worry and the money it will require tracking down another unknown mileage/quality truck 5.3 from joe blow or junkyard and doing it all again. Do it once, Do it right. Once you learn things, then you can upgrade. Make your first 500 then worry about the upgrades.
Feel free to flame me for my ignorance. When He says "cam, springs and boost" He means valve springs, right?
yes-valve springs-no flaming here
Also add in a video, the proper orientation of the rings in the cylinder bore. Where should you run the ring gap. Inside wall, thrust side??
Hey Richard, love all the daily content! Question for you: when you reuse the stock piston rings do you ball hone the cylinders or just run them as is?
If your cylinder walls still have the cross hatch you dont have to. But I see it as, you've got the pistons out...might as well.
There is also the additional R&R of the crank, cost of the ball hone (when I looked it was about $100 for a 4 inch one), and my biggest concern is that people talk about the rings seating/sealing properly in the bore, but when you hone the cylinder wall you've now erased that complementary mating surface.
@@nowayjose596 if you use say a 320 or 400 grit hone then the rings seat almost instantly.
Possibly even during assembly when lashing valves.
alot of guys that run very very fast stuff polish all the cross hatch out on purpose and have very good luck with it so i really dont think it matters
I would run a hone through, but I prefer stones. You don't absolutely have to remove the crankshaft.
Memories of going thru multiple sets of rings,filing gaps to the nats ass THEN we "sunlight" tested rings in a precision bore replicating tool, after fitting a stepped disc inside the ring bore.IMH opinion,after preform many post race leak down tests,the proper ring setup is much more important than most realize.
I'm not going down for gapital punishment, because I UN-gapitized a engine under boost! That boost is like a volume knob, just one more cliickk! Or click click BOOM!
More technical videos like this please. Like a 5.3. Turbo build with all part numbers and how to assemble it all.
Sloppy mechanics don't bs me.
Where's the damn LOVE button?! 👌
The more wear on the wrecking yard motor, the bigger the ring gap... you never know the ring gap until you tear it down.
Very informative. I am in Australia and have a little 3L diesel 1KD 4 Cyl in my Toyota Hilux (pickup) tow vehicle. It's nearly impossible to get the big diesels you guys have with-out spending $160,000 for a ram 3500 or something.
It's got a bigger custom made variable geometry turbo, bigger injectors, intercooler, tuned at 36psi of boost. It makes 750nm of torque and 325hp at the wheels, stock was 90hp, 280nm.
I cracked a piston towing my caravan a few months back because my model of engine has a common piston cracking issue. Toyota actually redesigned the piston in the model after mine due to this.
My Hilux is currently with my mechanic getting the engine pulled out and taken to the machine shop for all stronger internals. Should I ask for larger ring gap or just let the machine shop do their thing?
Also why do people not redo ring gap.. I have blown 2 engines due to ring gap because I have no issue doing an engine swap in a car or bolting a turbo kit to an engine but I would never try and pull an engine down to file down the rings as I have no idea what I am doing. I would have to take it to a workshop and pay like $3000 to get them to do it. Even for an LS guy, you can buy 3 LS motors for the cost of a workshop filing down your rings. The engines I blew up were $500 engine... why spend $3000 getting the ring gap increased on a $500 engine. A guy gave me an engine for free if I would take it out for him. I ran 12second passes on that little 3L straight 6 before breaking the pistons. Pull the bolt-ons off, swap the engine out.
The bottom end bearings went in my wife ford focus, I was quoted $6000 to pull the motor out and replace the bottom end bearings. I paid $500 for another engine and swapped it in my self in 1 day.
I’m up every morning between 3-5am waiting for the next video to drop 👍🏾 thanks Richard
I wish you covered gap less rings. Love your vids Richard.
Those work too-they have gap-it just over laps
If you packaged multiple power combos for LS engines people would buy it. I guarantee it. From mild to wild. Cam, springs, boost, tune. Sold.
Thank you for your knowledge Richard! You've been very helpful with my engine decisions.
Thx - great vid & reminder. If this gets people to tear down their engines, congrats! I have learned to ALWAYS dig in. I want to check bearings, quick hone cylinders, tweak pan baffle, de-burr rods. I've got a pal that can ceramic top my pistons. If I have the money, I have the crank balanced and journaled. I never regret that time/money. Eliminating variables in the long block is essential, in my book
You mean roll racing on the freeway "in Mexico "😉
where ever you roll
Not anymore buddy, Mexico is closed!!😄
background sounds of birds singing is very pleasant. great video too ofc!
7:32 scared the absolute shit out of me
I will always thumbs up transparency and dialogue that provides data for the receiver to interpret. Thank you Richard
Loving it 🙂
My question would be to keep a motor safe and happy , would it be better to run a temp sensor in each primary exhaust tube or an 02 sensor?
Love your videos Richard!!!!!
individual sensors provide more data and more info is always better-just like more gap
02 reacts faster
I agree with all you said. There is broad variance in factory assembly tolerances and sometimes those are the make or break amounts that mean hero or zero. Only way to know is to check.
The variances today are MUCH smaller than they were years ago.
I think you'd find more variance due to how the engine was driven and maintained over some miles, than you would tearing down 10 factory fresh engines and measuring....
Great video again! I tow with my turbo 07 Silverado classic everyday for work. My goal was to run a small turbo (67/65) and low boost (6-7psi) for low end torque. My truck had almost exactly 200k miles when I turbocharged it, I didn't touch the motor except for valve springs. That was 3+ years ago and now I have 260k+ miles on the truck with no motor issues. Now I run a richer afr and a little more conservative timing than most would but I've been on the highway under boost for minutes at a time with no ill effect. My point is that if you're going to run the tune at the maximum edge, ring gap seems more important. If you're more conservative on timing and use a richer afr, ring gap may not be as critical? That's just my experience but I'm not a pro!
Side note I would like to know the ring gap on motors with over 200k miles compared to a new production motor. Have there been really tight gaps on high mileage motors?
A 200K+ junkyard motor gaps are usually .022" - 028". They may vary that much in the same motor. It's the guys taking a 100K motor and putting some steam to without proper setup (ring gap, etc.) that exposes issues. Detonation is another element that seems to create many problems with boosted setups and self tuning.
What's the most you've towed with and gow did it tow?
@@kevinmcquitery4543 I've had 10k on the back and it does great for what it is, but it's no diesel. I want to put a significant load behind my turbo gasser and my buddies diesel and compare 5-30 times, mpg, and general power, I think that would be a interesting video 👍
Yes, you're correct..
Being conservative on the a/f ratio and timing will definitely benefit an engine that was a factory non-turbo application, and has stock ring gaps still.
MANY people have busted rung lands on LS engines with stock gaps because their tune wasn't spot on, and they pushed it, while other people have made around the same power with ZERO issues because their tune was perfect.
Thank you Richard for all the information you give us budget build guys about the new style factory engines
The sun is in your eyes, Richard. Lol
Can you do a video of the steps you take when you tear down a motor and put it back together? Materials and tools for cleaning, oil or lube for head bolts/studs, assembly lube you like to use, etc etc.
I've been hoping for this one. I've also been wondering how Total Seal rings react to boost. You can't really adjust the gap on those, can You?
All rings can be clearanced
gapless rings still have gap-they just overlap
Thanks Richard... You're a 💎
I'm here for boost lovers anonymous
You've come to the right place
Where do I sign up....smh.
Currently running 22 psi on a wrx 2.0l and wanting MORE boost!!!
30 will be ok right??.. its only 8 more??
Of course 30 psi is good! Sometimes half the fun is seeing how much carnage happens. Unless you are doing 120 mph thru a corner...
@@greggreg6975 if you want more upgrade to a 2.5 with vvt.
@@Faolan161 lol... did that at the track last weekend.. apparently free boosting a td04 is a bad idea..
I typically run maximum OEM gap +.005 on the street driven engines I build. Never had a failure. Even on a junk yard 4 cylinder running 17psi daily driven.
There are gapless rings.
Total Seal and Childs and Albert. ;)
Gapless rings have been out for quite some time. I run a gapless top ring in my boosted SBF and after 5 years at the 1,200+ HP level, the rings are just fine, so is the bore. This is on a purpose built race engine that was run for the first 2 years on C-16, the next year on Q-16 and the last 2 years on Pro E-85. The engine is in for a re-fresh, and is now getting gapless top and 2nd rings.
Gapless rings have gap for heat expansion-they just overlap
@@richardholdener1727 Yes, but the reason I mentioned it is because it was not addressed in your video.
So you're gapping top AND second ring .0065 per inch of bore?
we did on the big bang motors
Richard Holdener how about for 6.0 on high boost?
You are correct sir, thank you for explaining
Personally I blame squirrels
Those bastards
john woodworth : Word. So true. Worth the words in the woods.Your still not wrong. Peace!
I love everything u do with all of it. Keep up exactly what ur doing.... And u do offer a lot, knowledge man .. a lot...
And it's like playing the lottery running a J.Y. motor on any kind of forced induction...
All the ring gap for boat motors🙄
Been watching a few videos and enjoying them. On this topic, I have always been taught to gap piston rings for the expected torque and horsepower per cylinder.
For example I have a 2004 Audi S4 with the BHF 4.2 liter V8 engine. That engine when modified typically will throw the cylinder three connecting rod thru the block after about 475-500 whp or estimated 625-657 chp and the failed engines look like they had the piston rings touch with the ring lands damaged. Surprise Surprise the stock top and second ring gaps are between 0.002-0.003" x the 3.327" bore from what I measured. That is after converting millimeters to inches. Nobody bothers to tear down the engines to check though.
EDIT: For the stock 340 chp or 42.5 chp/cylinder that factory ring gap of 0.002-0.003" x the 3.327" bore is perfect though.
you are saying the factory ring gap is between .0066-.010-that seems tight
@@richardholdener1727 that is exactly what I am saying. However it fits for the horsepower calculations that I have seen. The usual street/strip recommended top ring gap of 0.004" x bore size is good for like 100 chp/cylinder usually.
My car actually has a built engine in it now and the top ring gap is 0.007" x bore. Which is the ring manufacturer's recommendation for mild boost of 15-30 psi and about 150-200 chp/cylinder.
Boost is not that addictive, I can quit anytime I want.
It's funny how today video was exactly about the question I ask and you answered yesterday. Strange how the ring gap varies from engine to engine, with no rhyme or reason. I can only guess the ring gap is increased on those turbo charger and super charger engines from the factory. With the factory warranty, I would think that they do some type of insurance for longevity.
factory forced induction is usually still tight for emissions
This guy is a scientist
Having this much knowledge is amazing! The willingness and enthusiasm to share it is world class! I’m lost for words, thank you is trivial to the multi hundreds of hours of work for these test and reports and to literary hand it to us? Amazing! My friends won’t even let each other LIIK UNDER THEIR HOODS!!! Lmao Ritchard Holdener for President!!!
at the end (see, I always watch all the way through😉) you indirectly answered the question I was going to ask... gapping the old tired rings probably means you did not run a ball hone through the cylinders
Why would you ball hone a cylinder if you're reusing the rings? The whole point of ball honing is to give a good surface for a new set of rings to bed in on. The original rings have bed in to the factory bore.
On the first Big Bang 4.8L, I did ball hone AND reuse factory rings with extra gap! worked just fine
Even though you are not sitting in the shade, you are under a shade tree, so that makes you a shade tree mechanic, right? At any rate, humans are lazy and would rather not pull a motor apart and check ring gap, plus, in the past when we have gotten away with being lazy, so we are conditioned to be lazy. But like you said, we have to use good judgement and check and adjust the ring gap like we know we should. Boost is like alcohol (drinking); the more you drink the more you want (and the better the women look). The faster you go with more boost, the more boost you want. But in the end, we all need to check the gap (and open it up if it needs it). Besides, this is the perfect time to install those chrome muffler bearings!
Just make sure to line all the gaps up!! Military style file formation haha
Thank you for using the correct terminology, ie, wrecking yard rather than junkyard.
IMO stock gen iii/gen iv ls based motors on boost are on borrowed time anyway. Personally I’d rather not bother with the stock “cracked” rod caps and the torque to yeild rod bolts. Throw it in and go. If it blows go buy another 5.3 for $500. If you need more than that then have a motor built with real quality parts.
or just increase ring gap on the stock motor and run for a long time with stock parts-whatever you want
Wish I had known about ring gap before I put my 5.3 in my car ,to late now I’m going to run her till she blows,and I’m one of those that said I would never won’t more boost ,just came in form the shop from putting on a smaller pulley on my procharger D1SC,we going to find the weak point👍
How much ring gap though? Lol
I was hoping to hear at least a recommendation of where to read or a lose idea of how to equate how much ring gap is needed in a couple situatios. I agree 100% though, always ring gap when adding power and you don't want to risk pulling the motor out again.
Great videos. I love your channel.
He said it: .0065 per inch of bore. You can probably get away with .0070 as well.
If more people would listen to what you are saying and or do some homework to understand. Then you and myself could stop repeating thing's that are just common sense lol. Good stuff Richard keep it up👍🏁👍🏁👍🏁
So, if I go find a decent vortek in a boneyard, pull the heads, unbolt the rods, do the ring gap at 0.030", reinstall with no hone, reassemble & BOOST, it oughta be a good to go!
I always figured the junkyard motors that ran great with boost just had more mileage/wear on them so the rings didnt seal as well and acted as a stop-gap "bigger" ring gap
There's not many people doing testing on the 2.0 duratec engine's in the Ford focus. This video just helped me out. Keep up the awesome work. Thank you sir.
Been building hypereutectic piston air cooled engines for quite some time. I love when water cooled guys look at my builds and comment on my ring gap 😃
yeah .030 is tight on an air cooled hahaha
100% SPOT ON! Thank you for the great information! You have to adjust ring gap to match the ring / piston temp that you are creating using boost! I keep telling people this but they don't want to hear it! Nothing is better than a little super simple insurance by disassembling the lower end, adjusting ring gap and THEN boosting, when it comes to your engine! Great Job RIchard!
Bore size comes into play also...
What works for a 3.85" bore is NOT going to be correct for a 4.125" bore, even if the rings are used in the exact same environment and application.
Maybe I am just old where I am still mind boggled that the new engines get 300,000 miles and usually the vehicle falls apart WAY before the engine (and in case of GM, about 1.5 transmissions too). I also look at the time of the project Generally with the LS after I get one home, I will go through it for a day or two stripping it down. As long as it ran good (no knocks), 9/10 times you can slide new bearing on the bottom end after measuring of course, check/replace oil pump tube and pump, clean, clean, clean, usually LS's will still have cross hatch and very little tapering you can get by with stock bore with a quick hone.
Clean, clean, clean. I have seen way over half with broken lifter guides ($10, easy enough to swap with cam), a bad valve guide, corrosion where parts won't seal properly, Bad rea and/or front seals, sludge build up, worn push rods, stuck sensors, bad frost plugs (or almost), etc. All low dollar items considering but takes minutes to change versus days when it's already installed and probably on the side of the road.
Now, stock applications where you may not care as much, go for it. Anything else I put 3 - 5k worth of speed parts on and if it blows most of the parts might be junk after, I'll spend the 8 hours tear down and build. Not a full reman, just your basic let me get 30k miles T 800 hp out of this pig mentality.