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Re: New Piston Rings

To: Mike Ladwig <mike@twinpeaks.prc.com>
Subject: Re: New Piston Rings
From: Phil Willson <P.J.Willson@qmw.ac.uk>
Date: Thu, 7 Sep 1995 09:28:50 BST
Cc: lesnyd@bb1t.monsanto.com, triumphs@autox.team.net
Priority: Normal
My 2 pence worth:

> Larry E. Snyder writes:
> >I've checked the bores on my Spit, and there are slight ridges at the top
> >of the piston travel. When I put new rings on my bad piston, are they doomed
> >to break?
> >The Haynes manual says to "step" the piston ring. What does that mean?

Mike Ladwig replied: 
> Stepped rings have a bevel at the part of the ring that would collide with
> the  ridge.  Apparently, they were available when the cars were new so that
> dealers could do "quickie" ring jobs without worrying about ridges or
> finishes.  From what I could find out, they aren't available any longer.

Stepped rings were certainly still available in the UK about 5 years ago 
because I fitted them to my Herald.  No 
problems so far (famous last words, no doubt).  They were made by a company 
called Cord, so if you hear 
someone say they've got Cords it doesn't mean a bit of string to hold their 
trousers up!

If anyone is interested, I could check if they are still made for our cars.

However, IMHO they are really only a quick fix for a low to medium wear engine 
with a low annual mileage, like 
mine.  They're no substitute for doing the job properly.  (I also fitted them 
to a Minivan many years ago but 
being an 850cc engine I really used to thrash it in order to get any semblance 
of performance from it.  The Cords 
were shot within a couple of years).

Phil
TSSC 13/60 Register Secretary

From:   Phil Willson
        Electronic Engineering
        Queen Mary and Westfield College
        Mile End Road
        London E1 4NS
        Tel +44 (0)171 975 5338
        Fax +44 (0)181 981 0259
        email p.j.willson@qmw.ac.uk



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