ring seal??
 

Dumb question i'm sure

Can POOR ring seal cause an engine to over heat??

Re: ring seal??
 

I'm not sure. But one of the purposes of a piston ring is to transfer heat from the piston to the water jackets (obviously through the cylinder walls).

Re: ring seal??
 

Poor ring seal can drive a considerable amount of heat into the oil. Oil is the primary coolant, and excessive oil temperature from blow by can drive the water temperature up. It could make an engine run pretty hot under heavy loading conditions.