Piston Rings?

[maguire_93]

Does anybody know of a book or website that explains how to install piston rings on a 383. I just bought a 1963 Dodge Polara 4dr with a 383 and the guy said it might need new piston rings. Could i just add like one of those engine restore products.

 

[69 Runner]

Welcome. There are many books out there to explain how to install rings, including the factory service manual.

You need to check the motor out to see if it really needs rings. Run a compression test on it. If you have the equipment do a leakdown test on it as well. If the motor has never been rebuilt, you'll want to tear it down and have the heads redone making sure you have hard exhaust seats installed. (bronze guides aren't a bad idea as long as you're there)

 

[beeguy]

You could try some motor honey or something once in a while it helps. if you're going to keep and drive the car I'd plan on doing it right . all it does is make the oil thicker in a sense.

If you need rings on an old engine that means you need a rebuild, probably just figure on that and decide what your goal for the car is.

 

[maguire_93]

My goal is to drive it as much as possible. How much would it take to rebuild it? Could I do it myself in my highschool ag shop?

 

[daredevil]

additives are a bandaid. theres a book in paperback how to hot rod big block mopars that would be good reading.also the mopar performance speed secrets big block book has a lot of good info.

 

[69 Runner]

Realistically? Probably gonna cost you $2500+ for a good rebuild....and that's with YOU doing the assembly. (the machine shop will do the heads, press pistons off and back on the rods) When you do this have ARP rodbolts installed (which will require resizing the rods). This is (relatively) cheap insurance to prevent the old bolts from stretching and making your new motor toast.

 

[maguire_93]

I was just thinking of just doing as cheap as possible. Thats why I was thinking of just doing the rings. The car has sat since 1981 in a shed.

 

[69 Runner]

There is no such thing as doing it cheap. (theoretically) the cylinders have to be honed correctly to match the kind of rings you're using, and to get the rings to seat properly. Your block may have a very pronounced ridge at the top of the cylinders. The valves will probably need to be done if they haven't been in the last ......(whatever period of time)

Yeah, you could pop the heads and use a ridge cutter to remove any ridge if it has them. Yeah, you could get yourself stones and a drill and try to hone the block yourself. Yeah, you could pop the heads on and off without doing anything but replacing the valve seals.

Yeah, you could do all this work and have it run ok for a few years. But you could do all this work (and spend the money) and have pistons crack or rod bolts stretch in the first 15 minutes of slapping it back together.

If you don't want to, or don't have the budget to do it right, then dump chemicals in it and hope for the best.

 

[maguire_93]

I think ill just dump chemicals in for now and hope to god she does the trick
Thnks guys for all the input