[Amc-list] Muskeeter rings,,, Ring break-in problems

["Bruce Hevner" <scramblr@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

>Don't know if they are still available out there, but Muskegon always gave
me the best bang for my >buck. I'd slap those suckers into some pretty badly
worn motors and they would still seat in less than >1,000 miles and get over
a year's running without power loss, even when ran hard.

I was a warehouse dist for Muskegon when I had my shop. They were some of
the best on the market back then, VERY high quality (made in the US). I sold
LOTS of them. Then in 88 (I think) Dana Corp bought them and stopped
marketing them at retail although they were still available to engine
rebuilders. They were gradually brought into the Perfect Circle brand. 
Then in 98 ( a year after I closed my shop) they started to drop the
Muskegon part numbers and go to Perfect Circle part numbers and Muskegon was
on its way out. In 05 Dana closed the Muskegon foundry and  I think Muskegon
is totally gone now. I think all of it is now under the Federal-Mogul. 
Most in my area are now selling Hastings rings. I'm not fond of them at all.
Especially their oil ring. I like PC much better. Especially their "Speed
Pro" line. Not as good as TotalSeal but not as expensive either.

>Unless it's a race car or something that will be pushed a lot I'd use
standard cast rings. Chrome-molys >last longer but are hard to seat in a
relatively slow turning engine like the AMC six. I used them twice, >and had
problems getting the rings to seat. On the first one I literally had to
overheat the engine (like >boiling over overheating!) before the rings would
seat (it was a 196 L-head). The second time took a >lot of hard running and
over 2000 miles before they were fully seated. For a mostly street car it's
just >not worth it! Standard rings should seat in the first 500 miles and
last over 100K if the engine isn't run >extremely hot or overheated too many
times and otherwise taken care of. I've had a couple engines >with stock
type cast rings go nearly 200K before they started using much oil and
noticeably lose power >(compression). 

I think you are confusing CHROME rings with MOLY (plain Moly or PLASMA
MOLY). Chrome-MOLY is a type of steel. It's a common mistake.
Hard Chrome has been used as an anti-wear coating on rings for a LONG time
both retail and OE level. Hard Chrome CAN be difficult to seat if the bore
is not finished properly or if ANY anti-friction lube is used on the rings
for installation.
 How did you know your rings were not seated? If it was a compression
problem then it would have been the top ring. If it was an oil consumption
problem it would have been the second ring since the top ring does not
perform oil control. This is known as having a "wet cylinder"  and is most
commonly caused by using an anti-friction lube on the rings for assembly
preventing the second ring from seating. The second ring does double duty
both backup compression to the top ring and oil control.

 Plain cast rings are most used for "economy" rebuilds are generally easy to
seat but not as long lasting as "coated rings"
 Hard Chrome rings (while harder to seat) are MUCH longer lasting and easier
on the cylinder walls. Many Japanese engines (especially Toyota) used to put
Hard Chrome on BOTH the top compression ring AND the second compression-oil
control ring!
 Plain MOLY coated rings (cast or Ductile) are easier to seat than Hard
Chrome but tend not to last quite as long and not be quite as easy on the
cyl walls.
PLASMA-MOLY is the latest in common ring coatings. It is sprayed on the face
of the ring with a plasma torch (hence it's name). It has a much higher
melting temp than Hard Chrome while seating about like reg Moly.  This is
what you will commonly find on high end competition rings but is also used
at the OE level.

When installing pistons I don't use ANY type of anti-friction lube like STP
or engine assembly lube on the rings. This can cause a "wet cylinder". I use
ONLY a few drops of 3-1 oil in the ring grooves and a few drops rubbed into
the cylinder walls with my hand and then the excess removed with a cloth. I
put a FEW drops of anti-friction lube on the SKIRTS ONLY of a WARM piston.
After letting it soak in I REMOVE the excess with a rag. Do NOT allow ANY of
the anti-friction lube to contact the rings OR cylinders.  This is the
procedure recommended to me by an engineer from one of the ring companies
about 20 years ago. I have NEVER had a ring seating problem since I have
been doing it this way.

But HEY,,, that's just ME!!
Bruce Hevner


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