[Rryanstrickland]

Still trying to avoid taking my K301 on a 1978 312 to the machine shop for a complete rebuild. I think I found something wrong with the oil rings? I found a small piece of plastic or something broken on the oil ring assembly. I'm just not sure what it supposed to look like properly installed on the piston. Should it spring out like the compression rings? DOES ANYONE HAVE A PICTURE?


THANKS!!!!

 

[Rryanstrickland]

Here are a few pictures of the piston and rings. I would think that the "oil control rings" should protrude out just like the compression rings? Mine has two very thin "rings" and a "spring" underneath them. But the rings do not spring out?

(Message edited by dlnw98 on August 13, 2009)

 

[fly4fun]

The expander that the oil rings locate on should keep them pushed out some when they are installed right. The expander could be broken, if it is, then the oil rings wouldn't do much good. If the bore and other items check good, you might get by with just a set of rings. When you do put in the new rings, be sure and follow the directions that come with them. The oil rings and expander are the most difficult to get right.
Hope this helps,

Jerry

 

[Sandpiper]

Ryan
I can't speak specifically to your engine, but in general, yes, they should "stick out" Rarely as much as compression rings, but certainly _must_ be bigger then the bore. While they don't stick out as much as compression, they are in fact harder to compress to bore size then compression rings too.

The 2 most common causes of oil rings loosing their "spring" is seized in the groove (your pistons look very clean so unlikely) or they were over heated once.

If you can rotate them within the groove, then they are junk, no tension left. If they will not rotate, then they may indeed just be varnished in and some substantial carbon remover gunk may free them and let them expand again.

Greg

 

[Sandpiper]

By the way, if they came out like picture #1, all three sets of rings with their gaps lined up, that is a problem too. Compression will be down and oil consumption up just from that alone. Should be a diagram for your motor but typically gaps will be staggered at 1/3,1/3,1/3 apart

 

[Rryanstrickland]

thanks guys. the oil control rings definitely do not have any spring to them. There is no carbon or anything in the piston grooves either. So I'm just thinking that the oil control "spring" is bad. And the rings were not all lined up either. They were staggered around the piston. Now if I can only find a small engine repair shop to get the right parts for this piston...

thanks again!!!