How to Clock Piston Rings: Gap Orientation and Install Tips

Have you ever wondered how to install rings on pistons? How to clock piston rings? How to set piston rings? Or how to align piston rings?

To answer all these questions and more, Lake Speed Jr. from Total Seal Piston Rings stopped by to do a step-by-step walkthrough. We discussed how piston rings work, demonstrated the correct way to do a piston ring orientation, and identified the ring gap position on a piston and piston ring gap orientation.

Thanks to Lake and Total Seal, these piston rings are a simple way to get increased performance out of your engine.

0:36 - How Do Piston Rings Work
1:46 - How to Install Rings on Piston
2:20 - How to Clock Piston Rings
6:00 - Do Piston Rings Rotate

Follow us on social!

#pistonrings #enginebuilding101 #engineparts

[peterb]

Once you place the ring in the desired groove, you roll the rest of the ring on . The distortion on those rings displayed disturbed me .

[PeterHernandez-lgeh]

Vefy informative good to know. Currently troubleshooting a po302 on my Subaru sti

[jimb]

Unless pinned rings rotate. You can't stop them from doing so.

[slowpoint]

They’re going to eventually line up, they’ll rotate at around 6 revolutions per minute and at some point they’re going to be in line. Just have to have a way of venting the crankcase pressure that is created.

[jasonnash]

The instructions on the ring box say do not put any ring gap's on the thrust side of the piston

[LaTeamPrep]

Oh and I remember i have seen once a motorcycle piston with tiny anti rotation pins, so that they stay in place at very high rpms.

[p.]

What ensures, that the rings don't move the gaps during time?

[LaTeamPrep]

Nice video, very instructive! But that's in the best world possible, actually piston rings rotates slightly due to engin inherent vibration.

[johnrideout]

Well that solved my question, do the rings move round when the motor is running.? And the man said that they do indeed.! I can stop worrying now.!

[xScoByDoRaCeRx]

that hurts watching how you put the oil rings on lol. But your still the man

[kevinoneill]

So I guess the octane value must take an incredible hit with blown and redurning through the EGR. It's a wonder that with these fuel mixtures, the vehicles even run. How can you say that the emissions are better?

[MickJones-rh]

Why did he put the bottom scraper on before the expander ? The scrapers are meant to sit on top of the little ridges on the top and bottom of the expander right ?

[tmmyjay]

Can you explain "thrust side"? Thanks, TJ

[carstuff]

Anti thrust side would be intake side and thrust side would be exhaust side, then he tells to put 2nd ring to exhaust side but he signals the pin side that goes to the front of the engine and then 1st ring to intake and he signals the pin side that goes to the back of the engine, he don't know what he is saying or he is just talking about 2 valve v8's, but then he said it don't matter the cylinder amount inline 4 or V16, but it does matter the valve set up tho.

[راضيالابراهيمي]

‏‪0:20‬‏ Hello, what is the best oil rings, 3 pieces or 2 pieces?

Shouldn't the expander ring go on before the two oil scraper rings? The scraper rings push against the expander ring as there is a lip on the inside of the expander ring on the bottom and top which is there for the top/bottom oil rings to keep the expander in place. Your video shows the first oil ring going in before the expander which I believe is incorrect. However I don't think your expander has this lip like I have on my BMW expander so it might be OK for your application

[trappn]

Trying to understand. So, you are suggesting we place the top & 2nd ring gaps in line with the piston pin? Thanks.

[joshuajuarez]

Aren’t stock piston rings already gapped to stock piston?

[comstay]

Why would there be blow by when they are aligned and when they are not. Pressure goes where it can go.

[PeterHernandez-lgeh]

Subaru ej257 pistons ringland failute above average. Brittle aluminum pistons