2.3 Gapless Rings

[Wild Blue 32]

I'm running a 2.3 Ford in a mod 4. What are your thoughts on gapless rings? Do you use gapless? If so does it matter if it's the top ring or the second ring? Thank you for any replies.

[engineczar]

I use them as a top ring with napier cut second and a 12# oil ring. They make good power so long as you run a light oil and pull some sort of vacuum in the pan.

[Wild Blue 32]

What do you recommend for oil? I usually run Brad Penn 20w50. Should I be running 10w30?

[Racedad]

You read about guys using them as a second ring,but I wouldn't.

I feel a bigger end gap on the second ring helps keep the top one from fluttering so if a gapless is really better sealing I wouldn't put it in the second groove,don't know what issues there are about the top.

[engineczar]

We run 10w-40 Amsoil which has worked well for us.

As far as the top groove or second groove question I don't know anyone still running a gapless second ring.

[84Dave]

Some very good thoughts in the above comments. I've been around the block with the gapless ring situation. Both top & 2nd..... on both 2.0/2.3L's. I now use neither! The very best power, on a dyno, we've been able to make involved the use of (8) lateral gas ports in the top ring land, a Napier 2nd ring, & low-tension oil ring. Without lateral gas ports, I use a ring gap of .0055"/per-inch-of-bore, both top & 2nd. But........**CAUTION**... if you use lateral gas ports, the metal between the top ring land & the piston crown is only .135"-.160" thick(long rods!), and your static compression ratio is ~12.5-13.5:1, the top ring gap should be .007"/per-inch-of-bore. And if the 'top metal' is .200"-.250" thick, use a ring gap of .006"/per-inch-of-bore. Why? The use of lateral gas ports in the top ring adds considerable additional heat to the top ring. So the ring gap must be increased accordingly to keep the ring ends from butting. Been there...... done that. And lateral gas ports gas-load & unload the top ring MUCH more quickly than depending on that small .0015"-.0025" clearance above the top ring. A win-win all around! Oil to use? If your rod/main bearing clearances are in the area of .002"-.003", I prefer a 10W-40 race oil. My personal favorite, for many years, has been Brad-Penn Partial Synthetic(10%) 10W-40 Race. The lateral gas ports? I've used a machining gent in Utah, with his custom piston jig, to machine/install gas ports in the top ring land. He's good! I can sic you onto him..... if desired. -Dave-

[Wild Blue 32]

How do I pull vacuum in the pan?

[engineczar]

The best way is to use a vacuum pump. Unfortunately most tracks don't allow vacuum pumps on mini-stocks. The next best thing is a pan-e-vac system. We tie ours into the breather port that's on the block beneath the intake.