Gapless Piston Rings

[M12maniac]

Hi Guys....

I'm still rebuilding my GTO 3 and I'm getting the pistons out to check them over.

(The car was a bit smokey on start up and I think it was just valve stem oil seals....and I've replaced those.)

Although...

Since it's easy access to the engine at the moment I'm going to replace the piston rings....but Fords can't supply them. So I went to Performance Unlimited who can supply gapless piston rings that are now used on touring cars. They seem to be backed up by research as being a really good mod....

I need to find out whetether the cylinders are iron, cerametallic, or aluminium coated though....so they can fit the approriate gapless rings. Anybody have any clues as to what the 3.0 litre ST220 engine cylinder coatings are???

Thanks as always

[5paulmv]

if your doing all this work i would have barrels nicoseald we do this on our side car outfit works realy well shure you will have someone near iff you google it

[andygtt]

alloy block with steel liners.... how much are these rings?... you can get ford ones but they are £350 a set

[TuxMan]

ive yet to get rings for my rebuild , be interested in what you find out !!!

[YellowShed]

Mountune stock the Ford rings. Give Derek a call on the Mountune number from the web.

YellowShed

[M12maniac]

andygtt said:

alloy block with steel liners.... how much are these rings?... you can get ford ones but they are £350 a set

Where abouts did you access the info for that...as I'd like to read something if I can.

Thanks Trevor, I think Derek will be a good point of call.

I was quoted at about £70 per piston, so £420 instead of the standard £350, might be worth it! Normal rings lose 7-20% compression in their life, these rings on touring cars haven't lost more than 2%.

Obviously fitting the wrong type wopuld be a disaster!

[andygtt]

I bought rings from mountune before... I have 2 blocks in the garage but don't have anything written down. Look at the pics of the rebuild a few threads down as it shows the block and bores along with the liners.

I'm referring to the 3l btw although I think the 2.5 is the same ?

[M12maniac]

After some deliberation....I've gone for the standard rings from Derek at Mountune. I need to get cracking with the rebuild because I want to get it back on the road, remapped, before summer is gone. The gapless rings were going to cause more delays...and I don't want to chance ruining the bores with the wrong kit.

Thanks for your input guys.