where to buy rings?

[93EmeraldMTX]

ok, i might re-build the SHO in a few weeks here, and i was looking for some slightly oversized rings, and i couldnt find any for sale. anyone know where i can find some? the only ones i can find are stock size. i dunno if i'm going to have to get oversized ones or not yet, but its better to know where to get them now than when the engine is sitting in pieces in the garage. thanks

 

[SHODWN]

Maybe a thinner AWA or a big and tall jewler

 

[Off Road SHO]

93,
Are you thinking that you can put in oversize rings to help "seal up" a worn engine? That is not how it works. The rings are an exact size. When they are in the piston groove inside the cylinder, they only have an end-gap of say .010 of an inch.

If your engine is worn out, you can take it apart completely, clean it completely, have it bored .010, .020 or .030 of an inch over size. Then clean it completely again (very important). Then you buy a new set of pistons that are oversize also. The new piston and their rings are matched to the bore job, ie: .010 .020 .030 over. All the machining should be done by a reputable machine shop, that knows how to check a block for cracks and warping.

Don't ask me how I know this , but it is much cheaper to get another engine from a bone yard.

E-mail me if you have specific questions

 

[93EmeraldMTX]

ThomasDooley:
93,
Are you thinking that you can put in oversize rings to help "seal up" a worn engine? That is not how it works. The rings are an exact size. When they are in the piston groove inside the cylinder, they only have an end-gap of say .010 of an inch.

If your engine is worn out, you can take it apart completely, clean it completely, have it bored .010, .020 or .030 of an inch over size. Then clean it completely again (very important). Then you buy a new set of pistons that are oversize also. The new piston and their rings are matched to the bore job, ie: .010 .020 .030 over. All the machining should be done by a reputable machine shop, that knows how to check a block for cracks and warping.

Don't ask me how I know this , but it is much cheaper to get another engine from a bone yard.

E-mail me if you have specific questions

allright, thanks.

 

[shojuan]

ThomasDooley:
Don't ask me how I know this , but it is much cheaper to get another engine from a bone yard.

Yeah, but you don't get one with new rings that way.

Rick

 

[Off Road SHO]

Rick,

Yeah I know you don't get fresh rings, but it takes a **** of a lot of runnin to actually wear out on of these motors. I personally like a factory "sealed" engine, and would rather have a 80k mile used SHO motor than one rebuilt by someone.
Another thing that the original poster should keep in mind: How do you know you need rings? Low compression? It could be the valves need to be done and not the rings.
The way to find out which is worn out is with a compression tester and a squirt can of oil. Warm up your engine. Pull all the spark plugs. Do a compression test on all cylinders and write it down. On any cylinder with low compression, squirt 3 or 4 squirts of oil into the cylinder and then re-attach the compression tester and test again. If the compression comes way up with the oil, it's bad rings. If it doesn't come up, you have bad valves.
You have to pull the heads to do the rings, might as well do the valves and re-shim. Also, never do a new top end rebuild on an old bottom end. You must do new bearings.

Tom

 

[shojuan]

ThomasDooley:
Rick,

Yeah I know you don't get fresh rings, but it takes a **** of a lot of runnin to actually wear out on of these motors. I personally like a factory "sealed" engine, and would rather have a 80k mile used SHO motor than one rebuilt by someone.

Yup Tom there is something to be said for having a factory "sealed" engine. The money you save not buying a head gasket set and other gaskets means more money for rod and main bearings, oil pan gaskets, front and rear main seals, VC gaskets, shims, and sensors to boot.

Rick

 

[93EmeraldMTX]

ThomasDooley:
Rick,

Yeah I know you don't get fresh rings, but it takes a **** of a lot of runnin to actually wear out on of these motors. I personally like a factory "sealed" engine, and would rather have a 80k mile used SHO motor than one rebuilt by someone.
Another thing that the original poster should keep in mind: How do you know you need rings? Low compression? It could be the valves need to be done and not the rings.
The way to find out which is worn out is with a compression tester and a squirt can of oil. Warm up your engine. Pull all the spark plugs. Do a compression test on all cylinders and write it down. On any cylinder with low compression, squirt 3 or 4 squirts of oil into the cylinder and then re-attach the compression tester and test again. If the compression comes way up with the oil, it's bad rings. If it doesn't come up, you have bad valves.
You have to pull the heads to do the rings, might as well do the valves and re-shim. Also, never do a new top end rebuild on an old bottom end. You must do new bearings.

Tom

yeah i was planning on re-seating the valves too.

 

[Off Road SHO]

Re-seating or re-grinding? There is a big difference. Seating valves is when you have done a valve job (by grinding) and you want to fine polish the mating surfaces. Jeweler's rouge is used for the polishing compound, a small amount between valve face and seat. They make hand tools (basically a wooden dowel with a suction cup on the end) that you stick to the valve and rub between your hands. And the kind they put in drills for production work.

If your valves are in very good shape, you can get away with just a seating or lapping as it is sometimes called. Good luck. And may the secondaries be with you.

Tom

 

[rangerj]

93EMERALD,

Reread the other posts several times. You do not replace rings without a good reason. Are you having a compression problem? Are you consuming oil? Are you sure it is because of the rings and not the valves and/or valve seals?

If you need rings, or have decided to change them anyway, then do it right.

Each cylinder should be miked for wear, and to determine that it is straight, and not oblong or tapered. If the cylinders are within specification, they will need to be honed to put a crosshatch pattern on the walls. This helps to "seat" the new rings.

As mentioned above the bare block should be taken to a top quality shop to be cleaned, and then "magna-fluxed" to check for any cracks. If the block needs to be bored, in order to make the cylinders straight, it should not be done until you know that the block is worth it.

Consider having the block "line-bored" for the crankshaft, and then have it "decked" so the surface the heads sit on are perfectly level.

If you go this far you may as well have the crank miked, and machined if necessary. Next, have the rods miked, both ends, and bored if necessary.

If the block has to be bored, and you have to get new pistons, then consider having it all balanced.

When you get done with all this machine shop work on the block, rods, and crank, at $85 to $100 per hour, then its time to have the heads done. At a minimum the heads should be decked and have a three angle valve job, new "bronze-oil" valve guides, new valve seals, and whatever else is not up to spec.

Can you just pull the engine apart, replace the rings, bearings, and a few other parts? Yes.

Will you get a whole lot of improvement? Mabey some, but do not get your hopes up.

As for getting a motor from the salvage yard, I have gotten some very good motors, and some very bad motors. Make sure you are able to return a bad motor, and get another motor or your money back, in writing!

Lastly, as mentioned above you cannot be too clean. Grit, grime, and/or metal shavings will destroy a fresh engine in a very short time.

Food for thought, rangerj

PS Dupli-color Ford Engine Gray and Engine Primer at Auto-Zone, and other auto parts suppliers.

 

[93EmeraldMTX]

alright, thanks everyone. ill try and just keep it to valve work, and if that doesn't work, then i guess i'll try to find myself an engine at a junkyard. thanks again

 

[rangerj]

93Emerald,

As for you original question, buy "Perfect-Circle" rings. This is an old brand name that has had a top quality reputation for almost a hundred years. For bearings, Cleveite is also a very old well reputed product. Pistons and other engine parts, TRW.

rangerj. Sorry I got carried away and forgot the original question!