3.0 liter Corvair Buggy motor with possible ring issues

[kmart356]

I can't see how anything but a high oil level would cause that much oil in a cylinder from sitting.

A follow on to this comment by Joel. There is a (slim) possibility that is worth checking out to make sure “full” is being accurately indicated. Check to see that the oil dipstick tube is fully seated into the case. If the dipstick tube is short of all the way in, the reading you see as full is actually higher (overfilled).

[jimbrandberg]

66vairguy wrote:
"I used the GRANT cast iron rings (no plating) that California Corvair sells. They sealed quickly. No oil use after a few hundred miles. Compression is good, crankcase blow-by is minimal. Grants has a good reputation."

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My impression from reading before is that Clarks has Grant cast iron rings and some folks have had problems with them.
I especially purchased Hastings cast iron rings from California Corvair Parts based on what I have read.
For cast iron rings I see only Grant available from Clarks and Hastings only available from California.
I sure would like to see more opinions.
I might add that I haven't personally noticed trouble with Grant rings, I was only going by what I've read.

While we're at it, Clarks catalog seems to imply that moly rings can be more difficult to break in than chrome. From what I read chrome can be the most difficult.
I sure would like to see more opinions.

I just put Deves rings in an engine that the customer bought. The oil ring is 4 pieces rather than 3 and seemed a little tricky. I hope they'll be okay.

Jim Brandberg
Isanti, MN
CorvairRepair.com

[joelsplace]

Deves are the ones most people complain about.

[66vairguy]

66vairguy wrote:
"I used the GRANT cast iron rings (no plating) that California Corvair sells. They sealed quickly. No oil use after a few hundred miles. Compression is good, crankcase blow-by is minimal. Grants has a good reputation."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My impression from reading before is that Clarks has Grant cast iron rings and some folks have had problems with them.
I especially purchased Hastings cast iron rings from California Corvair Parts based on what I have read.
For cast iron rings I see only Grant available from Clarks and Hastings only available from California.
I sure would like to see more opinions.
I might add that I haven't personally noticed trouble with Grant rings, I was only going by what I've read.

While we're at it, Clarks catalog seems to imply that moly rings can be more difficult to break in than chrome. From what I read chrome can be the most difficult.
I sure would like to see more opinions.

I just put Deves rings in an engine that the customer bought. The oil ring is 4 pieces rather than 3 and seemed a little tricky. I hope they'll be okay.

Jim Brandberg
Isanti, MN
CorvairRepair.com

I just checked the California Corvair site and they sell BOTH Grants and Hastings piston rings.

Clark's only has plain cast iron rings by Grant. They sell Hastings "plated" cast iron with either chrome and moly. I've heard either chrome or moly plated rings take a while to break-in. I used Hastings chrome plated on one engine and it burned oil for nearly a thousand miles before finally seating. After that I went with the Grant plain cast iron on the recommendation from the fellow who machined my piston cylinders. No oil burning or smoke after just 15 minutes of engine break-in. So far so good.

[Vairone]

While we're at it, Clarks catalog seems to imply that moly rings can be more difficult to break in than chrome. From what I read chrome can be the most difficult.
I sure would like to see more opinions.

Moly rings break in as fast as a cast iron ring. Chrome can take miles and miles before they break in.

[Vairone]

Clark's only has plain cast iron rings by Grant. They sell Hastings "plated" cast iron with either chrome and moly.

Hastings moly rings are ductile iron, not cast iron. The moly is applied to the ring by plasma deposition. The plain Hastings rings are cast iron. Not sure if Hastings chrome rings are ductile iron or cast iron, but if I think they are ductile.

[jimbrandberg]

Now that's interesting. When I go California Corvairs the $85 Hastings rings description is cast piston rings. Is it only their moly rings that are ductile?
A quick search of ductile iron says that it is also cast but from a different alloy.
I also see that nodular is a different name for ductile. Nodular came up in a discussion of pressure plates over at the other place a while back.
I'm not saying anything bad about anybody, just trying to learn about the different rings available to us. I'm pretty well set on Hastings moly for 140s and turbos but wonder about what rings to use on regular performance engines where I'm trying to save a little money.
Jim Brandberg
Isanti, MN
CorvairRepair.com

[Vairone]

Now that's interesting. When I go California Corvairs the $85 Hastings rings description is cast piston rings. Is it only their moly rings that are ductile?

Not sure if Hastings chrome rings are ductile iron or cast iron, but if I think they are ductile. Quick test with an old Hastings chrome ring: Try to twist it into a "S" shape. If it snaps right away it is cast iron. If you can twist it into a "S", or almost into a "S", it's ductile iron.

I'm pretty well set on Hastings moly for 140s and turbos but wonder about what rings to use on regular performance engines where I'm trying to save a little money.

Cast iron rings are OK for regular performance engines. Detonation is a ring killer and a cast iron ring will not live long if the engine gets into detonation.

[jimbrandberg]

What I'm wondering is if plain Hastings rings (not moly or chrome) are ductile iron.

There were some folks a year or so ago in the other forum saying they had trouble with Grant rings but they're not saying anything now.

Jim Brandberg
Isanti, MN
CorvairRepair.com

[Dennis66]

Are these the Dove rings that were mentioned? These were in a '64 150 that I picked up in a parts purchase (had 102 heads on it and no turbo). Dennis

[jimbrandberg]

It's Deves rings not Dove. I can't tell by looking at them installed, I've only installed one set that someone else purchased. The difference I saw when dealing with them is a 4 piece oil ring rather than 3 piece that I'm used to.
I think 102 heads on a '64 engine would be about 10/1 compression ratio without other modifications.
Jim Brandberg
Isanti, MN
CorvairRepair.com