RDS
12-06-2005, 12:40 AM
:) Hey all. New to the site. Want to pick your brains on a problem with our rebuilt 283. I did what seems to be a dumb thing to do. I used white lithium grease on the rings before installing them. I've never done this before, always used oil. The only reason for this stunt was the motor was to sit for awile. I would asume the grease would melt away and the oil would take over. Dumb thing number 2- motor was rebuilt twice using grease on the rings. (live and learn). The first time with 550 miles on motor it would use 1 qt per 80 miles. Second time with only 80 miles on motor, 1 qt per 30 miles! We are 99% sure we have eliminated everything that would cause oil to get in to the cylinders and are down to the rings not seating being our problem due to the grease. Hastings ring co. seems to think we have a bad case of "spinning" rings. (read the ring condition to them over the phone). I'm told they are allowed to "turn" but they are not suppose to "spin". The violently spinning rings (the way they said it) could of ruined the rings. Actually agreed with me the grease allowed this by not catching the cross hatch on start up, and by the time the rings would have grabbed, it was too late for the rings. I would assume my problem is the second compression ring spinning the wrong way across the cross hatch acted like a file and wore off the tapered edge of the ring that scrapes oil off the cylinder. (that part of the ring from the first rebuild lookes like the tapered edge is beveled, or rounded off. The top ring lost about .0002-.0003 on the sides, supposedly a sign of ring spinning. Smokey states the rings "turn" each time the piston changes direction at tdc and bdc. Has any one out there ever use white grease like I did? Has anyone had a spinning ring problem for what ever reason? After 25 years, the same machinist, by choice not using a deck plate, never had a problem with ring seal. The motor almost runs like a swiss watch, excluding the excessive pure blue smoke out the exhaust, breather cap, and road tube. Any input would be gravely appreciated. I've been on this site for other reasons, and like it alot. I'm on another forum too because this seems to be a little different problem, and am getting a mixed review on the problem. I did send Hastings ring co. a set of rings to analize and will let ya all know too what they say. I just don't want anyone else to go through this when you spend so much time and money on a classic. Thank you