Piston Ring Spacers

[Rob Petrie E395]

After reading your first reply. I instantly gave up on the narrow rings. I've been bracket racing since the mid 90's. But there is a world of difference between here and there. And I know that and don't have any experience in this S/SS stuff so I best leave those rings alone till I get some more. I agree on the leakdown numbers but its all I got to work with for now. Kieth has said he would give me some instructions on how the block should be bored and honed. I'd bet he would do the same with these other rings your suggesting. I got what seems to be a good machinist here. They have never done me wrong so far. If I had half a brain I would probably just call one of the places like you that do S/SS engines for a living. But I'm one of those hard headed types that has to try himself first before I write a check LOL
Thank you again for helping me.
Rob


Dave
Kieth never quoted me any prices. I was told that price by another racer. Little over a grand in a whole engine? Man I got that in my heads and I got inexpensive but good used ones from another racer that changed combos. I have been told that if I really want to go fast I need to spend 3500 or more for a new set. I'm actually thinking about doing it. I guess I love work and hate money. I will say this Stocker thing seems cooler than bracket racing so far. LOL

[Alan Roehrich]

Rob, I'm not saying you can't run the super thin rings and make it work. Keith will certainly help you as well, regardless of which set of his rings you buy. I would want to start with a clean sheet of paper to run the sub 1MM rings. You can find some power. But I'd want to start with a fresh block and pistons, done the way Keith tells you.


Dave, I'm not sure I'd spend any money on a set of pure race rings just to put them on a set of cast pistons. I seriously doubt the cast pistons are going to have the precision ring grooves necessary to make really good rings work well. The flip side of that is that if you really have more than 10-15% leakage, even on a set of stock cast pistons and rings, you have serious problems, and I doubt buying an expensive set of custom rings will solve them.

[Bill Diehl]

the hone job, precision ring groove and inboard piston are what's needed for the ultra thin rings...and if your tuneup is setup to make power, a vacuum pump and pan gauge to tune by. Now a pumps not legal and guys are going to say they did this with that but......


IMHO......

[Dave Noll]

OK i'm gonna divert my own thread. 3500.00 in a set of iron heads ??? Liberally I can see a grand in parts. A concentric valve job a 1/2" deep ? Back cutting the valves ? ...... Where's the rest going ?? Roughly 2000.00 for flow bench time ??

[Alan Roehrich]

You're not just paying the guy for what he does. You're paying him for what he's learned, and for what it costs to do business.

[Dave Noll]

OK, I know of two flow benches in the area and one hasnt been used for years.The other is owned by a local stocker guy. Would I take him a dozen heads or is it all in the seat ?

[Bill Diehl]

Originally Posted by Dave Noll

OK i'm gonna divert my own thread. 3500.00 in a set of iron heads ??? Liberally I can see a grand in parts. A concentric valve job a 1/2" deep ? Back cutting the valves ? ...... Where's the rest going ?? Roughly 2000.00 for flow bench time ??

I will tell you about mine...
16 dell west copper seats $480
16 .502 bronze guides $144
8 ferrea hollow stem intakes $392
8 ferrea comp + exhaust $268
16 7/16x11/16 rocker studs $450
16 rockers $460
16 adjusting screws $180
16 Pac springs $340
16 Pac retainers $308
8 Pac round locks $32
8 Pac sq locks $32


that's $3000+ in parts alone, they have a legal valve job, they are not acid ported, they hold legal volume, they flow 300+ at .502


71 Boss 351C


I will sell them for 10,000

[Rob Petrie E395]

Originally Posted by Dave Noll

OK i'm gonna divert my own thread. 3500.00 in a set of iron heads ??? Liberally I can see a grand in parts. A concentric valve job a 1/2" deep ? Back cutting the valves ? ...... Where's the rest going ?? Roughly 2000.00 for flow bench time ??

I thought kind of the same way at first. Then I got to thinking about it. Not unlike any other job. You have to do it for years just to learn to be the best. Then your going to have a large expense in equipment. Then you are going to have to spend some unpaid time doing some R&D on different heads to see what each one likes. Unless your going to use your customers as Guinea pigs. Which is not areal good way to build a business like that. Sure eventually you would figure it out but your likely to upset some customers at the start. It kind of like at my repair shop. People aleways question my flat rate. And why it cost so much to fix cars. I just open the door from my office to the shop and start pointing at different pieces of equipment and what they cost. The little box with the 5000 dollar scan tool that I have to pay every year or so to be updated ends their questions. Because they realize how many cars I have to fix to pay for all that stuff before I get to put a dime in my own pocket. Yes over the years you get some of the bigger items paid off. But you work your whole career to make up for the first few years where you damn near starved to death so you could have the equipment necessary to build your business. If these heads were for street cars you could just throw a valve job on them and let em eat. But they are tring to turn streetcar stuff into Racecar heads without porting them which is not the easiest thing to do. I can't imagine what SS stock heads cost LOL

[Tony Corley]

$450 for Rocker Studs? Wow!

[Bill Diehl]

Originally Posted by Tony Corley

$450 for Rocker Studs? Wow!

And bearings, trunions ect