• Welcome to The Truck Stop! We see you haven't REGISTERED yet.

    Your truck knowledge is missing!
    • Registration is FREE , all we need is your birthday and email. (We don't share ANY data with ANYONE)
    • We have tons of knowledge here for your diesel truck!
    • Post your own topics and reply to existing threads to help others out!
    • NO ADS! The site is fully functional and ad free!
    CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!

    Problems registering? Click here to contact us!

    Already registered, but need a PASSWORD RESET? CLICK HERE TO RESET YOUR PASSWORD!

Ring Groove Clearance

O.k., I just got off the phone with Mahle finally and got some interesting info.
Essentially what he said is "If they fit, run em".
The guy was even surprised that there was a spec at all for the ring groove clearance and that he had never, in 35 years, had anyone asked about it. So @n8in8or, you're good! : )>

Seems to me that if there is a spec for something and you are checking them for accuracy, this is one you would check.
But seriously? You mean that someone going through the common practice of blueprinting a motor would not check the ring groove clearance? Weird.

Well, as far as I'm concerned, regardless of the lack of concrete answers, I'm not going to make more of an issue out of this since there are a lot of successful builders out there that have built reliable motors without too much attention to it.

FWIW, my 1993 factory unit repair manual seen in the pic above is calling for .0015" - .003" for the second ring and .0016" - .0035" for the oil (none for the keystone top). I have been using sandpaper on a flat surface to clearance my rings for a .002" - .0025" clearance on the second and .002" - .003" on the oil from the out-of-the-box clearance of about .001" - .0015".

I will probably run them straight out of the box with no clearancing next time.
 
I went back out and was rechecking my optimizer ones. The factory clearance WAS 0.002
My stupid self had a 0.002 AND a 0.0015 that were stuck together! :bag: Guess it’s been too many years since that set was used.

If anyone has too much groove clearance on rings, Total seal sells filler rings that go on top of your rings to tighten the gap.
 
Back
Top