oil use and ruings

[Don Dulmage <big-d@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

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rings are getting a lot of verbal abuse I notice so I will attempt to clear the air. first , these days rings are rarely the cause of oiling in an engine. Even motors with 200000 on them are still running with no trouble. 25 years ago that was unheard of. 
Ring endgaps do not cause engine oiling BTW. hypereutetic pistons require huge ring gaps on the top ring otherwise they will butt at full throttle high load and pull the top off of the piston which is one of the reasons hypereutectics get a bad name. They require the huge end gaps because they trap more of the heat energy in the top of the piston rather than disapating it throughout. When set as the manufacturers specifies (.027 to .032  etc) for the top ring they will in fact under a full load position be almost butted but not quite. 
The Ring end gap thing is very debatable even for file fite. Hastings ring company did  some tests i read about in the late seventies with ring gaps and found no power increase from closing up ring gaps. they found no measurable powerloss till gaps reached .052  in a 4 inch bore. 
Hastings are the oem designer of most factiry rings including imports . most;y because of their technoology on the flex a vet oil ring and if you are an experienced engine builder you can spot their unique design immediatley so they are not dumies in this field. They have steadfastly refused to make a file fit ring set for racing . 
Do I file fit my rings , Sure i do  but i am telling you this just so you know it is rarely the rings or the ring gaps that cause oil use. 
PCv system can be a source of trouble . especially in a well sealed engine (ie total seals etc) They even used to warn about it in their early instruction sheets. 
The black Mopar perf valve covers are terrible for oil control.  baffling is insuffficient although Greg Bolt in Campellford came up with a new set of baffles that work much better. 
We also have welded a full lenght baffle in the valve covers to cure the problem in race engines  with full rocker oiling. If you have a mopar book read the blurp on the unpainted  covers in the MP catalog. That is a real eye opener. 
Valve seals and valve guides are another source of trouble and #1 on the list. The intakes need to be the sealed type that press over the guide  otherwise on some cars especially some e bodies the pass rear will suck oil as it is slightly overed in some situations. Also guides in stock heads are too long  for any cams over 500 lift and must be shortened to provide enough clearance for the valve seal at full lift . otherwise the retainer will smack them and split the seal  and VOILA , instant oil burner. even just one split intake seal will turn a good sound engine into a plug fouling smoker .
Also as mentioned I think by Rick E and Earl and others  the engine can suck oil under the intake of there is a mismatch or weak gasket seal. 
#1 culprit is when heads are planed the intake doesnt sit right. Often this is caused by the ends of the manifold sitting proud on the block end rail not allowing the manifold to sit down on the head properly. We always relieve the ends of the manifold with a grinder  back about an inch underneath on all four corners .
As to the rings .
The Oil ring controls oil  and the second ring in some designs is said to scrap the walls clean but the top ring  really does give a dang and has no affect on engine oiling. 
Another common cause is chevy disease which is when a chevy guy built a B mopar and fits the pistons to small block chevy specs. Also a tight pin  falls into this catagory as well.
These  two conditions cause piston and cyl wall scuffing  and the combo of the two is worse. 
Why does a tight pin cause  cylinder wall scuffing you ask? good question!
because the tight pin causes the piston to get hotter than it was designed to be in the pin boss area. When a piece of alumunum heats it expands   quickly and if there is not enough room for it to grow it squeezes the oil  film off of the cylinder wall and proceeds to try and fuse itself to the wall . Very quickly. In less than an hour there wll be two long grooves worn in both the cylinder wall and the pistons which are very distinct. The machine shop guy will have some wonderful explanation that is designed to confuse ending with how mopars are junk etc etc but in reality pins were too tight and clearance too samll. An engie in this condition will still run but will eventually become noisy and a severe oil user. I seee this at least two or theree times a year as we are called on often to do there pair or to consult on the problem or cause. We alway check and correct pin fit in all motors although i must say Sealed Power (FM or TRW) have really done a great job claning up their act in this area. Obviously they care. 
Pins should not have any perceptable tightness when properly installed. 
BTW A race engine on the street with race rings and clearances will always use a bit of oil . It will be hard on tires too  but somehow it doesnt seem to be important. 
enough for now
Don
Author of
Return to Deutschland (True Adventure)
Old Reliable (Mopar)
http://stores.ebay.ca/Don-Dulmage-Enterprises
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