Total Seals European Distributors since 2004
Total Seal's patented Gapless ® Piston rings provide increased performance through unmatched sealing of the cylinder and combustion gasses in the combustion chamber. Increased horsepower and torque along with longer engine life are just a couple of the reasons why Total Seal's Gapless ® Piston rings are the best rings available. Here are many more.
- Increased horsepower and torque
- Longer engine life
- Saves money (fewer teardowns)
- Improved consistency
- Cleaner engine oil
- Longer ring life
- Better Oil control
- Less friction
- Lower engine oil temperatures
- Wider torque curve
- More engine vacuum
- Increased intake signal
How it Works...
As shown in the illustration, compression gas is deflected by the rail into the piston groove and aid in pressure loading the ring throughout the 4 stroke cycle. At the same time the rail also and most importantly closes off the combustion gas leak path created by the ring end gap. This gap is the primary cause of blow-by in a 4 cycle engine. With a conventional type ring as the ring and cylinder wear the ring end gap increases and the blow-by figures increase. The Gapless® ring blow-by figures are not affected by this wear, as the ring end gap increases it is blocked by the rail portion of Total Seals patented interlocking 2 piece design stopping the blow-by at the source. Conventional style rings when newly installed will show leak down figures of 7% or higher these figures can quickly exceed 20% or higher after a surprisingly short period of time. Gapless® rings on the other hand when newly installed typically show leak down figures of 2% and lower and should remain the same throughout the life of the engine.
Piston Ring Function... Sealing for Horsepower.
There are three leak paths for blow-by to escape past the piston into the crankcase and we all know that any blow-by leaking past the piston is horsepower lost. Let’s examine one path at a time...
THE FACE OF THE RING – The face of any compression ring can have many characteristics that may help or hinder cylinder sealing. The profile (barrel, taper..etc) can vary in many different ways that help the ring stay seated through piston rock over. Face coatings can also make a substantial difference with cylinder sealing depending on your cylinder wall material.
THE SIDES OF THE RING – The side surfaces of the ring, that is the surfaces that seat against the piston flank itself are often overlooked but equally as important in sealing an engine. Simply, the flatter and smoother these sides are, the better they will seal against the piston and stop any blow-by from traveling around the ring land and into the crankcase.
THE END GAP – Here is the correlation...the larger the end gap, the more blow-by and power reduction your engine will see.
Lets examine the strokes in a four stroke engine and the importance that cylinder sealing means to each...
INTAKE – On any naturally aspirated engine, the better the rings are sealed inside the cylinder and against the piston, the more intake charge (air and fuel) will fill the combustion chamber. Ring seal is the only thing in a normally INTAKE E aspirated engine that draws air / fuel into the cylinder.
COMPRESSION – The better the engine is sealed on the compression stroke, the higher the percentage of intake charge that previously filled the cylinder will be utilized. Ring seal is the only thing preventing the charge from leaking past the piston and into the crankcase.
POWER – During this explosive event, the more explosion the rings keep above the piston, the higher the force will be COMPRESS. exerted downward on the piston, resulting in more torque and horsepower.
EXHAUST – The more efficiently the cylinder disposes of exhaust, the more that event in overlap, will help prime the intake stroke for cylinder filling.
SIMPLY STATED... AN INCREASE IN PISTON RING SEAL RESULTS IN HIGHER VOLUMETRIC EFFICIENCY WHICH EQUALS INCREASED TORQUE AND HORSEPOWER.
HOW FAST DO YOU WANT TO GO?Total Seal® has worked hard trying to address each of the circumstances above. We have developed a number of separate ring lines from Gapless® to Diamond Finish™, all intended to improve the sealing of whatever engine you may have. Please look through our catalog, call and ask questions, and Total Seal will work with you to decide which ring set might be right for your situation.
HOW FAST DO YOU WANT TO GO?