Thanks to everyone who responded so quickly to my questions about
missing piston rings and nylon piston pin buttons.
General consensus seems to be that the "Ring" thing is a trick used to
lessen friction and improve power in racing applications. However, I
think I'll revert to the original "all rings PRESENT and accounted for"
configuration, as funds don't generally permit a teardown after every
autocross!
And the "buttons" apparently are a rather more legitimate teflon object
designed primarily to reduce the risk of cylinder wall damage from a
floating piston pin that gets too seasick. I LIKE THAT IDEA, and
apparently it's worked thus far. I'll definitely keep them.
Having grown up in the 1950s and 1960s, when one could usually glean
infinite amounts of genuine automotive wisdom from the gruff mechanic at
the local fillin' station, I am eternally grateful that such knowledge
is available here. I have tried often to give the best information I
know in answer to questions of others; now once again I appreciate
receiving that same quality of information.
I'll be on vacation next week, but I'll try to monitor the list from
home when I can. Those of you headed to Rockford for the VTR Convention,
enjoy; I'll see some of you next year in Albany. And I'll see a few of
you (I hope) in Schenectady this Sunday. (I'll try to wear something
Herald-like, so I'll be easy to spot. Barring that, if there is a Herald
or Vitesse at the show, and a 5'6" guy is drooling over it, that'll be me.
Andy Mace
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