Piston Rings with Springs?

ajmac

ajmac

Member
I just unwrapped a box of NOS 85bhp ford USA piston rings and they have springs for the second compression and the oil control ring. The British Flathead that I stripped down didn't have these springs which sit behind the rings. When was this introduced? Will they be compatible with the original 81A pistons?
 
If the rings were manufactured for your application they should work as intended. Different makers had different ideas as to make their products stand out or incorporate improvements,
 
As I recall, the springs were for use in a re-ring job where the cylinders were worn. The springs gave extra tension to compensate for the wear.
 
Hi Everyone, maybe this helps... "MARCEL SPRINGS ASSEMBLED: Sometimes used to help seat the ring and to dampen vibration"
 

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flatjack9 said:
I would not use NOS rings in any rebuild. Get new, better modern rings.
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What you have there isn't worth anything except garage art on the wall. . The ring technology today is lite years ahead of nos rings from the 50's possibly older.Do yourself a favor and purchase new rings.

R
 
It's for a ww2 carrier that will do no more than 50 miles per year....I think on balance NOS is ok ��
 
ajmac said:
It's for a ww2 carrier that will do no more than 50 miles per year....I think on balance NOS is ok ��
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Sounds like you already made up your mind and our info isn't reliable. "Just sayin" your engine your rules whatever.
My2¢

R
 
NOS rings, those would be the same as the ones that took the BEF back and forth across N. Africa a couple times and then across Europe to Berlin?
 
There was a bunch of old guys around the islands when I came here in the mid 70's and they talked about making rings back in the 'old days' by turning sections of cast iron pipe and slicing them off. They were locally famous for the huge loads of logs they'd haul off the island (with their homemade rings). And don't even get me started on the ww2 stuff. Somehow we beat the living crap out of the nazis and the japanese in a relatively short amount of time considering their head start. Modern rings might run 150,000 miles with our modern motor oil blends and the ww2 vintage rings will be all worn out after 100,000. It will only matter to Ol' Henry...... I just bought 2 sets of nos rings for a re-ring on an 8ba and a 59ab, just so happens one set had the expanders, the other didn't. Stay tuned in 25 years for the update.
 
It all depends on what you want to do with your vehicle. If I were building an engine for a classic road car to do a few thousand miles per year then I would most certainly use modern pistons and ring set with anti scuff coating. I'd also convert to 12v, fit an alternator, hi torque starter, aluminium heads, Electronic ignition and fuel injection.

In this case my friend who I am rebuilding this engine for is an historically accurate kind of guy. Everything he has supplied for the rebuild is NOS and he has insisted we reuse the original Pistons as they were fitted at the factory during WW2 and the bores are still in std tolerance. The ONLY nod to modernity will be electronic ignition.....as long as it is hidden!

Thanks for the info on the ring expanders guys. I'll fit them.
 
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I've just found a date for the introduction of expander type piston rings hidden away in a 1956 flathead service manual. It says they were introduced on all 221s in 1939 when the 239 was introduced. Also gives a date of June 1943 for the introduction of four ring Pistons.
 
ajmac said:
The ONLY nod to modernity will be electronic ignition.....as long as it is hidden!
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Now you have to admit there is humor here! An electronic ignition is ok as long as it's hidden, but NO MODERN RINGS because there obviously in plane sight!!!!!:D
 
Dang, I was on a roll last night. I bought the rings in nors boxes as they were available and inexpensive. One set was Hastings brand from a few years back for sure. Just a ring and valve job.
 
One more vote for "I wouldn't use them under any circumstance". Just like I wouldn't use old paraffin based motor oil if I found a stash of un opened containers.
 
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