Sources
Joe Gibbs Racing: joegibbsracing.com
Total Seal: 632.587.7400; totalseal.com
Heat is a byproduct of combustion. Both air-cooled and water-cooled engines need to dissipate that heat to keep the engine from running too hot. Can piston rings play a role in managing that heat? Before we get into the details on that, we need to talk about another significant source of heat in an engine: friction.
Heat is also a byproduct of friction. Think about rubbing your hands together to warm them up. The faster you rub your hands together, the warmer they get. Now think about the pistons in your engine-they're moving faster than 200 cycles per second. That's why piston rings matter when it comes to engine temperature.
The primary source of friction-related heat in an engine is from the piston rings rubbing against the cylinder wall. Multiple research studies from Ford and the U.S. Department of Energy have concluded that the piston ring and cylinder wall account for as much as 40% of all engine friction. No wonder today's OEM engines have thinner piston rings than their predecessors. Think about a 1972 Camaro and its 350ci small-block, which had a piston ring pack with two 5/64-inch rings and a 3/16-inch ring. Now think about the LS7, with two 1.2mm rings and a 3.0mm ring-that's a 40% reduction in overall ring thickness!
Ring Thickness vs. Engine Heat
This story is from the April 2023 edition of Hot Rod.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the April 2023 edition of Hot Rod.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Making Connections
Project T-top Coupe: We install a Terminator X Max for big power.
LET IT BREATHE!
Project X’s new ZZ632 big-block needed to breathe, and this do-ityourself stainless exhaust kit was just the ticket to make it happen.
TUNING OPTIMIZED
VARIABLES WITHIN FUEL-INJECTOR CONSTRUCTION CAN LEAD TO POOR ENGINE OPERATION. HERE'S HOW TO TUNE YOUR FUEL INJECTORS.
Re-Flange It!
We check out the fab skills needed to run a flat hood on a 1970 Mustang with a very unique and too-tall engine.
THE TRIBUTE FOR THE WIN
Ron Capps wins the NHRA U.S. Nationals driving a Don Prudhomme-Hot Wheels tribute Funny Car.
So Close
Following a nearly flawless performance, a pít lane penalty kept the C8.R off the top of the podium in the IMSA Sportscar Weekend.
A RADICAL SHIFT
When you're a teenager and the police know you by name, it's not usually because of your volunteer work or class-topping GPA. Not at all. That was especially true for Jeff Kainz when he was behind the wheel of his 1975 Camaro. In the '80s, while cruising his hometown in North Dakota, his buddies with police scanners often heard the police tell one another: \"Kainz is out on Main Street.\"
WILD MASH-UP
Built to long-haul the 2023 HOT ROD Power Tour, this 1984 Monte Carlo’s facade hides a performance secret!
6 TIMER!
Tom Bailey captures his 6th HOT ROD Drag Week Unlimited/Overall title with his Sick Seconds 1.0 Camaro.
JIM MCFARLAND'S INFLUENCE WENT WAY BEYOND HOT ROD MAGAZINE.
Jim McFarland, the multitalented, multifaceted Texan who enjoyed several careers in the automotive performance industry, passed away in October 2023 at the age of 88.
