Archive > pistons-rings

For as long as I can remember, it has been considered best practice to position the ring gaps equidistant around the piston. The theory is that in doing so, gas leakage will be minimised so that it stays within the confines of the combustion chamber, expands and generates more shaft power. For some reason - and I no longer understand why - it just made common sense and was never really challenged. At the risk of stating the obvious, gaps in piston rings are a physical necessity to aid...

The colours may have changed from red to blue (Budweiser to Copart) at Kenny Bernstein Racing, but the objective never alters. The objective is to build bullet-proof engines that can go down the 1000-foot dragstrip quicker and faster than the car in the other lane. For co-crew chiefs Rob Flynn, Mike Guger and Todd Smith (who came over from Don Prudhomme's Snake Racing after that outfit closed operations at the end of the 2009 season), the objective is to fit the strongest piston...

A phenomenon rarely heard of these days, is that of ring flutter. Manifesting itself in the form of unusual wear characteristics and possibly high exhaust gas blow-by, particularly at light load conditions, ring flutter if left unchecked, can even cause pre-ignition/detonation of the incoming fuel-air charge, eventually leading to piston failure. The solution however, is not always that obvious. You may always hear that the root of the problem is all to do with the acceleration and...