Gapless Piston Rings?

[keflaman]

With the surge in engine build documentation going on, I haven't seen any mention of what rings people will be using. I heard about gapless piston rings a year or two ago, but don't anyone who has used them. The M42 is not listed on Total Seal's website, but they say they can custom make any ring set needed.

Any thoughts?

[mabeer]

I've got them in my build.  Not running yet however.

[benz-tech]

I'm afraid of them, not for any real reason. My compression ratio is already ridiculously high. 

[MrPhatBob]

I've got them in my build.  Not running yet however.

What pistons are you using?

[thebrelon]

they are on my list...

http://www.totalseal.com/pdf/ts_rings_article.pdf

they may call for little gains but little by little...

[mabeer]

What pistons are you using?

I used some semi-custom JE Pistons.  Basically a stock S50B30 with an appropriate compression height.

[benz-tech]

Well I need rings any way. What the hell, where'd you get yours. I can always put the 2.0mm M44 gasket on if I need to lower compression

[mabeer]

That's the spirit!  I got mine from Steve @ Top End Performance www.racetep.com

[thebrelon]

I'm afraid of them, not for any real reason. My compression ratio is already ridiculously high. 

correct me if I'm wrong but they won't raise your comp ratio but they will reduce the comp loss through the rings. so if your theoritical CR is 11:1, at best you will have 11:1 where with standard rings you would have, say, 10.8:1.

no need to be afraid.

[benz-tech]

True. But I'm working to bring the static down below 11.5:1 and maybe a little loss through the rings wouldn't be such a bad thing. I'm just gonna man up and do it. Ill call TEP next week.

[MrPhatBob]

Blow-by is not a thing you really want to happen - it contaminates the oil quicker, pressurises the crank case meaning that you are complicating the flow of oil back to the sump, and letting the oil cook due to the higher temperatures of combustion gasses. 
If you want to reduce static compression, get a thicker MLS gasket or get the piston's crowns reduced.

But 11.5:1 is not that much if you're running N/A.  The last N/A engine I built was running close on 13:1 compression and would only run on >97octane fuel without detonating to hell.

[wazzu70]

Blow-by is not a thing you really want to happen - it contaminates the oil quicker, pressurises the crank case meaning that you are complicating the flow of oil back to the sump, and letting the oil cook due to the higher temperatures of combustion gasses. 
If you want to reduce static compression, get a thicker MLS gasket or get the piston's crowns reduced.

This, no matter what compression you use, you want the best seal possible. Blow by has a lot of negative effects!

Just run really big cams with high static compression so the dynamic compression is lowered!

[benz-tech]

Planning on it. Bigger at least, not huge.