Zero gap top ring question

[JeffG]

For those of you running zero gap top rings, how long did they take to seat? Did they smoke at first? My motor has about 60 miles on and smokes. Plugs look oily. In my experience if the rings don't seat right away then they aren't going to seat. That is with a standard ring set though.

Turbo is fine. Up pipe is dry.

Thanks in advance..............

 

[Intercooler]

They smoke. I thought it was my 83 lb. injectors or something in the chip. Does it at idle but not WOT right? I just kept driving mine and beating the crap out of it and it went away. Have plenty of plugs on hand because they will foul. I went 300 miles before it was totally cured. Drive her! When it goes away you will love them. No more drips out the breathers and the oil stays nice. They are different than standard rings so be patient.

 

[Buick Mark]

I have the Total Seal gapless second ring set up in my 87. I get the ocassional oil around the tapered seat of some of my plugs. I remember reading the gapless rings create additional crankcase pressure, along with increased vacuum and it overwhelms the PCV, and valve cover breathers. I have an air compressor oil/ water seperator inline with my PCV and it DOES wonders for keeping oil out of the intake, but I still get a bit of oil on some of the threads and seats of the plugs, Oh well, My stock MAF is dead, its getting colder, and gotta rake the leaves, I'll worry 'bout it next year Mark

 

[JeffG]

Intercooler,
Thanks. That makes me feel a bit better. No smoke under load but it does it at idle. No real blowby either....which is nice, but boost has been kept pretty low so far. I have started to beat on it (15psi full throttle) and will incease it to 20+ in the next day or two. I guess I'll see what happens.

Mark,
I have a seperator on mine too. Works wonders. I will probably build a lager one becuase every motor I have use these on full up pretty quickly. Thx.

 

[Intercooler]

Just keep driving it. I am like you and always had instant ring seal and no smoke with regular rings. After I put these in this motor I wanted to shoot Steve Yaklin because I thought it was the ME and 83's Keep some plugs on hand and pull them every once in a while to see if they are clearing up more. Eventually they will look like normal and you will be good to go. It is weird seeing it like that for the first couple hundred miles so I know what you mean.