Posted by Matt Wilson [108.162.221.53] on Sunday, January 13, 2019 at 13:52:41 :
In Reply to: Good Grief! posted by Vaughn [172.69.22.173] on Sunday, January 13, 2019 at 12:52:17 :
Very interesting, Vaughn! I'm torn now. The instructions on my old set of Grant rings were quite clear, and show the opposite arrangement. The Hastings person I spoke to was also quite clear, and yet what you're saying makes sense, and agrees with the image you posted from Chrysler.
Looks like I'll be contacting Hastings again and I'll tell them the arrangement that Chrysler shows.
This makes me wonder...after I rebuilt my 230, drove it for a few years and then disassembled it, the tops of the cylinders had a pretty good coating of carbon in them - at least more than I expected. I always assumed the engine had been running a little richer than I realized, but now I wonder if it was actually excess oil that found its way to the combustion chambers. The carbon was not oily, though, but was pretty dry, so probably not....but it makes me think.
One thing I will add is that the OEM may specify whatever they think is appropriate when using their parts, but whem using aftermarket parts, especially pistons and rings, one should always abide by the aftermarket specs. Things like piston-to-cylinder clearances, ring end gaps, ring side clearances, etc., should be per the aftermarket specs, not the OEM factory specs. Much has changed in piston and ring technology over the past 70 years, sometimes including expansion rates of the metals used, depending on the type of alloy, so I would not go by the original specs unless using original NOS Chrysler parts. For example, I believe the ring end gaps specified in my old Dodge manuals were 0.007 - 0.0017", but the aftermarket ring manufacturers (at least Grant and Hastings) specify a larger gap. Hastings says their gap should be 0.012 - 0.022" for my 265 rings. The 230 might be slightly smaller, but probably not much. Pistons are a good example too. I asked Sealed Power what type of material they use, and they said it is eutectic aluminum (not hypereutectic). The original Chrysler pistons were neither of these materials. Eutectic and hypereutectic aluminum does not expand with heat as much as the older stuff, so clearances can be tighter from the start. The original clearances specified in the Dodge shop manuals do not apply.
Having said all the above, it does seem unlikely that there would be such a big change that would dictate the aftermarket oil rings being located in opposite grooves compared to the OEM.
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