ALFAGTV6.COM

I built up my 12v 3liter using Deves rings and can't get them to seal. They are chrome face.

What do you guys use?

I tried the new cylinders with oil...didn't work. Did the flex hone on the cylinders and assembled dry....didn't work. Chrome rings just not the thing?

Please help!

Scott

Try stock rings. But your liners must not be oval. I don't have much experienced as I rebuilt my engine with Total Seal rings and it's held up for 9 years.

I also used Deves rings and they didn;t see to seal well early on but by the time I drove 1000 miles, they did.

Tony

The liners, pistons, rings were new when I started this.


I've got about 8,000 miles and they haven't sealed up.

Compression is even and at 110psi. Should be up around 170 so far as I know.

I'll see if I can find that box with the stock rings in it.


Thank you for the help!

Scott

What is your break-in routine?

I have always had success with Total seal rings. Gapless for the stock cast pistons, with gaps for forgies.

Greg,
www.hiperformancestore.com
www.okinjectors.com

Break in was nothing special. Don't lug it, don't go to high revs, don't use full throttle for 500 miles. Change oil then gradually get more aggressive. I used 15-40 diesel oil for the cam protection additives. Non-synthetic. Stayed in town mostly for varied rpms.

Car is meant as a daily driver/fun car in the mountains.

How about: Heat cycle it once, bring it up to temp and then just give it every bit of load there is at all revs for a while, like a tank of gas or something. You need load to break them in, just keep an eye out for rising temps. Don't let it climb too high.

Driving it like grandma can hurt it and it wont make any power.

I'll give it a try...

Thanks Mats

Have to agree with Mats!
Load that sucker up to push those rings against those bores!
http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

If you have any concerns about having any knock problems, also consider running a good octane booster or some Methylbenzene/Toluene in your fuel.

I learnt from my dad when he prepared formula ford and engines many years ago even itch a coarser honing pattern that they ran a new engine in hard on the dyno . Those engines were only designed for a few races but they used to take them up o full rpm within 15 mins . Their compression checks and dyno power always proved they were on the right track .
I used same technique on my 3.7 and last 3.0 but only difference was I ran the new engine warm for 10 mins only up to 4500 rpm in neutral , check for any water , oil leaks then switched off . I never let idle to warm up . I let the car cool own over night then re torqued the heads as I found it was a necessity with the gaskets I made then straight of to dyno for running in and re chech mapping . After that it was an oil change and then to qualifying . Also noted with the total seal rings was a much finer honing pattern than normal .

Sounds perfect Kevin.

The way truck engines are run in at the factory is on a HUGE carousel dyno cell, they are added at one spot in the cycle, run up to temp and then they are run at full throttle for the rest of the rotation of the cell. One cycle takes quite a while.
Truck engines typically are built to last for MANY miles and need to run very tight to be economical.

So no need to be afraid to have premature failure...

Mr2zig,

go drive in the back country close to your place. Load up the engine climbing up the hills. No need to really rev it up, but put lots of load on the engine.

go drive in the back country close to your place. Load up the engine climbing up the hills. No need to really rev it up, but put lots of load on the engine.

Do you mean for me to do that now, before I go in and ball hone the cylinders again, of after?

Ok, I found what may have been the majority of the problem.

Weak spark.

I spent a bit of time cleaning connectors, changed out the distributor and went to timing the engine. I was working by myself, so I set the timing in a place, hopped in the car and tried to start it. This took several tries until it stayed running. In the process, I ended up booting the fuse block pretty good and all of a sudden its starting like its supposed to. AND it runs much ,much better, with more power, lights and turn signals work better, etc.

Now maybe the rings will have a chance to seat.

This feels like I picked up 40-50hp. Yeah, that noticeable.

And I feel like a nitwit for not having found this earlier.