<VV> More on piston rings concern or.. improvement ?

[J R Read_HML]

Roger...

Every once in a blue moon, you may see a puff of smoke (oil) at start up.  I 
generally attribute that to either a line up of ring gaps while sitting OR 
(could be both) sitting on a slope where one side of the engine is higher 
than the other.

I agree with what you said - just pointing out a possible (insignificant) 
instance where a gap alignment may be noticed in a Corvair engine.

Later, JR


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Roger Gault" <r.gault at sbcglobal.net>
To: "Corvair List" <virtualvairs at corvair.org>
Sent: Wednesday, July 25, 2007 5:25 PM
Subject: Re: <VV> More on piston rings concern or.. improvement ?


> Daniel,
> Generally, it is best to have wear surfaces change relative position.  It
> spreads the wear around.  Engineers do all sorts of things to try to 
> assure
> that this happens.  Lifers are ground so they rotate.  Gears use an even
> number of teeth on one gear and an odd number of the mating gear.  Valves
> are sometimes fitted with rotaters so that they turn relative to the 
> seats.
>
> I'd think you'd be better off leaving the rings free to rotate.  The end 
> gap
> is nearly zero, and I doubt seriously that it makes any difference if two
> line up - there's just not enough flow through them to matter.
>
> Roger Gault
> BSME
>