.031" Dykes or .043" Rings ?

[Ed Wright]

I changed too many other things at the same time to say. Mine has not been on a dyno anyway.

[Rich Biebel]

I just disassembled a 400 small block bracket engine. Dome pistons.....13+ to 1 compression. .043" narrow radial width top rings with vertical gas ports. The engine has 450 runs on it and still ran fine and rings were not worn out. It is 3 seasons old. I did not build it but I am just going thru it... The car can run in the 9's at 3100+lbs so it is making good power. Never really felt a narrow top ring with gas ports would go that many runs........Well it did and could have run probably quite a few more. The owner uses a restrictor plate to run 10.0's at 7000rpm or so......

[1320racer]

3160 lbs to be exact and best numbers are 9.77 @ 138+ with a 1.27 60 foot




this nothing special 400 powered this ride to back to back track championships and a ROC win in these 450 runs..

Same ring package in my 522 BB with 350 passes on them seeing 8000 in the lights.

[trmnatr]

Originally Posted by 1320racer

3160 lbs to be exact and best numbers are 9.77 @ 138+ with a 1.27 60 foot




this nothing special 400 powered this ride to back to back track championships and a ROC win in these 450 runs..

Same ring package in my 522 BB with 350 passes on them seeing 8000 in the lights.

You racing RAM this year too along with divisional races ed??????????? RAM looks like its further north this year at Maple and Cecil

[1320racer]

Originally Posted by trmnatr

You racing RAM this year too along with divisional races ed??????????? RAM looks like its further north this year at Maple and Cecil

I don't compete in the LODRS nor ram for the wannabe heads up racers. I'm a bracket racer competing every week in the NHRA Summit Racing Series at tracks in NJ and Pa. However, the owner of the green Camaro does compete with two 4th gen F body stockers in the LODRS in addition to the NHRA Summit Racing Series.

[trmnatr]

Originally Posted by Rich Biebel

I just disassembled a 400 small block bracket engine. Dome pistons.....13+ to 1 compression. .043" narrow radial width top rings with vertical gas ports. The engine has 450 runs on it and still ran fine and rings were not worn out. It is 3 seasons old. I did not build it but I am just going thru it... The car can run in the 9's at 3100+lbs so it is making good power. Never really felt a narrow top ring with gas ports would go that many runs........Well it did and could have run probably quite a few more. The owner uses a restrictor plate to run 10.0's at 7000rpm or so......

Ones that shown wear for us were AP rings which is steel with a C33 coating

I just prefer 1/16" for bracket and .031" Pressure Back for high rpm low drag. I want to try an .031" with a .043" Napier as I use 1/16" x .145" Napier usually

[Rich Biebel]

Originally Posted by trmnatr

Ones that shown wear for us were AP rings which is steel with a C33 coating

I just prefer 1/16" for bracket and .031" Pressure Back for high rpm low drag. I want to try an .031" with a .043" Napier as I use 1/16" x .145" Napier usually

After further inspection of the pistons in the green Camaro.....
ALL the gas ports were plugged with carbon.
The engine is running with low tension oil rings/no evac system and I feel it oiled up top and added to the carbon buildup.
As I said earlier I would not choose this combination myself for a bracket engine that went this long between being rebuilt or this many runs. I would use the std 1/16" top rings. I did use the Hellfires in one engine and they wore the tops of the cylinders. A 555 with Big Dukes....

I ran .031" Dykes a lot in flat piston small block engines. Typical SS type 350's. That was pretty std. 20 years ago.....I ran those rings very high on the pistons. I think they were .050" down on at least one engine. Never had any problem but I was never able to run with the fast guys back then with my budget.....

[trmnatr]

Originally Posted by Rich Biebel

After further inspection of the pistons in the green Camaro.....
ALL the gas ports were plugged with carbon.
The engine is running with low tension oil rings/no evac system and I feel it oiled up top and added to the carbon buildup.
As I said earlier I would not choose this combination myself for a bracket engine that went this long between being rebuilt or this many runs. I would use the std 1/16" top rings. I did use the Hellfires in one engine and they wore the tops of the cylinders. A 555 with Big Dukes....

I ran .031" Dykes a lot in flat piston small block engines. Typical SS type 350's. That was pretty std. 20 years ago.....I ran those rings very high on the pistons. I think they were .050" down on at least one engine. Never had any problem but I was never able to run with the fast guys back then with my budget.....

You own the green Camaro ED posts the pics of??? If so nice car

We use domed pistons many times, so we cant run the Dykes ring that high but what we do is run it .100 to .200 down depending on dome and valve pockets and turn the upper ring land down so gas pressure can apply the ring

IMO 1/16" is the best damn bracket ring out, 1/16" top, 1/16" Napier Second or Reverse Twist, 3/16" 16 pound oil ring

If I want any more gain from the rings, Dykes, .031"

I do want to try an 1/16" GoldFinish top ring, due to it solving the wear issues with the 043

The GoldFinish is a face coated TNT/Hellfire ring thats lapped too, The GoldFinish 043 is much better than normal 043 rings or AP 043 rings

[Rich Biebel]

[QUOTE=trmnatr;238064]You own the green Camaro ED posts the pics of??? If so nice car


No it's not mine. Owner is a well known footbrake bracket racer and he also has 2 LT-1 Stockers now.

I agree about the 1/16" top rings...

I am trying a set of gapless 1/16" tops with napier seconds and Hastings style oil rings in my own engine......509 BB ....
This will be an injected alcohol burner this year....I've had good luck with those sytems and am back to one again now.....

[Ed Wright]

You guys are talking bracket engines now. Apples vs oranges.

Edit: Wonder why this old one came back up?