On Mon, 22 Feb 1999, R. John Lye wrote:
> As far as I know, they are only available direct from Total Seal; at least
> that's how I've always gotten them. You just call them, and tell them the
> application (or the bore size) and give them a credit card number. They
> can supply full sets of rings, which is what I've usually done or they can
> supply just their unique second ring, I think. This second ring is the
> "magic" part - it is actually a two piece ring (split in the horizontal
> plane); essentially you have two rings sharing one ring groove. You set
> the ring gaps 180 degrees apart and you've got essentially a gapless
> second ring, hence the name Total Seal.
FWIW, if you already possess a set of rings, they will take your second
rings and modify them as John described. I'd just purchased set of +.020
rings (Grant brand, from TRF) for my 1147 Spitfire "racecar" when I then
made the decision to try the TotalSeal approach. I sent them my rings, and
they sent them back modified. See last of the three options below.
This is how it was in 1995 (just found this in my e-files):
***********
I called them... They do indeed convert the
"second" ring of a piston ring set to a two-piece ring. [Of course, now
it makes sense -- someone was going to do this on my motor, but then
forgot, went ahead and reassembled the engine! ;-)]
Prices are as follows, for a 4-cylinder Triumph engine:
THEY provide a complete set of rings (Hastings or whomever) and convert
the second rings: $88.28
THEY provide you with JUST the set of converted second rings: $57.36
YOU provide them with a set of second rings (from the new set you
already bought) to be converted: $6 setup + $6 per ring.
All above prices do NOT include shipping.
***********
I expect prices could be a bit higher now. Oh, and the comment in brackets
above aboiut "it makes sense" refers to the fact that my engine had been
built years ago without the second compression rings. Consensus of opinion
was that this used to be a somewhat common "performance" trick in some
applications. Good or bad I don't know, but it had worked for a number of
years until the remaining compression ring broke on the #2 cylinder. It
did no damage to the cylinder, but obviously reduced the compression in
same to about, well, 0. :-(
Oh, and I'm VERY HAPPY with the performance of these rings so far. The
modified rings looked, visually, as if they had been manufactured that way
(no backroom hammer-and-chisel-and-grinder job here), and they seem to
function as advertised.
--Andy
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* Andrew Mace, President and *
* 10/Herald/Vitesse (Sports 6) Consultant *
* Vintage Triumph Register <www.vtr.org> *
* amace@unix2.nysed.gov *
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