Piston Rings For Combustion Engines - 53094

KNOWLEDGEPOOL
PISTON RINGS FOR

COMBUSTION ENGINES
OUR HEART BEATS FOR YOUR ENGINE.

MOTORSERVICE GROUP
QUALITY AND SERVICE FROM A SINGLE SOURCE
The Motorservice Group is the sales organisation for the worldwide aftermarket activities
of R
heinmetall Automotive. It is a leading supplier of engine components for the inde-
pendent aftermarket. With the premium brands K
olbenschmidt, Pierburg, TRW Engine
Components and the BF brand, Motorservice offers its customers a wide and compre-
hensive range of top quality products from a single source. As a problem solver for trade
and repair shops, the corporation also offers an extensive service package. M
otorservice
customers benefit from the combined technical know-how of a large international auto-
motive supplier.
RHEINMETALL AUTOMOTIVE
RENOWNED SUPPLIER TO THE INTERNATIONAL AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY
Rheinmetall Automotive is the mobility division of the technology corporation

Rheinmetall Group. With its premium brands Kolbenschmidt, Pierburg and Motorservice,
Rheinmetall Automotive is a global leader in the relevant markets for air supply systems,
emission control and pumps and in the development, manufacture and spare-parts
supply of p
istons, engine blocks and plain bearings. Low pollutant emissions, good fuel
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tions of R
heinmetall A
utomotive.
Edited by: Liability

Motorservice, Technical Market Support All information in this brochure has been carefully researched and compiled. Nevertheless, it is possible
that errors have occurred, information has been translated incorrectly, information is missing or the details
Layout and production: provided have changed in the intervening time. As a result, we are unable to provide any guarantee nor to
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written consent or without reference technical expertise, the required knowledge of, or experience in repairs. The extent to which the technical
to the source of the material. methods and repair information described here will apply to future engine generations cannot be predicted
and must be verified in individual cases by the engineer servicing an engine or the workshop operator.
All content including pictures and diagrams is
subject to alteration. No liability accepted.
Published by:
© MS Motorservice International GmbH
CONTENTS 3 | 3
CONTENTS PAGE
1 BASIC PRINCIPLES PISTON RINGS 5
1.1 Requirements on piston rings 5
1.2 The main tasks of piston rings 6
1.3 Types of piston rings 8
1.4 Piston ring designations 18
1.5 Structure and shape of piston rings 19
1.6 Function and properties 26
2 INSTALLATION AND SERVICE 39

2.1 Assessment of used components 39
2.2 Assessment of used pistons 40
2.3 Assessment of used cylinder bores 42
2.4 Piston and piston ring assembly 48
2.5 Commissioning and running in the engine 55
2.6 Sealing problems and damage on piston rings 59
2.7 Lubrication and oil consumption 68

THE SUBJECT THE BROCHURE
Piston rings have been around for as long as combustion In this brochure, we focus on the topic of piston rings from the
engines themselves. Nevertheless, among specialists and users point of view of the user. We have refrained from going too
there is still a widespread lack of knowledge or an incomplete deeply into design matters and have focused on the practical
understanding of piston rings. No other component is so critical aspects. Where we do address design and technical matters
when it comes to loss of power and oil consumption. For no relating to development, this is to provide additional information
other component in the engine is the gap between expectation or to enable better understanding.
and capital invested larger than when replacing piston rings.
The brochure mainly focuses on piston rings from the fields
All too often, the trust placed in piston rings is clouded by the of passenger cars and utility vehicles. Engines, which were
excessively high expectations placed on them. So – against originally designed for vehicle applications, but which are used
better knowledge – half truths and untruths, incorrect in ships, locomotives, construction machines and stationary
expectations and misconceptions are often rife among repair engines, for example, are also covered. In addition to
shops and end consumers. Most of all, however, piston rings a technical section on the basic principles, the practical
suffer from cheap repairs (e.g. reuse of worn interacting sliding section “Installation and service” provides detailed
parts) and unqualified installation. information on the installation and replacement of piston
rings, as well as useful related topics such as lubrication, oil
consumption and engine running-in.
The foundation for a successful repair and reconditioning is

well-founded knowledge of the relationships in the engine.
We highlight the things that are necessary to achieve
successful repairs, but also what can happen if certain details
are not observed.
1. BASIC PRINCIPLES PISTON RINGS 4 | 5
1 BASIC PRINCIPLES PISTON RINGS
1.1 REQUIREMENTS ON PISTON RINGS

Piston rings for combustion engines must fulfil all requirements for a dynamic linear seal. They must withstand both
thermal and chemical influences and also fulfil a number of functions. They should also have the following characteristics:
Functions Characteristics
• Prevention (sealing) of gas escape from the combustion • Low frictional resistance so that too much engine
chamber into the crankcase so that no gas pressure and performance is not lost
engine output is lost • Good resistance and wear resistance to thermomechanical
• Sealing, i.e. preventing lubricating oil passing from the fatigue, chemical attacks and hot corrosion
crankcase into the combustion chamber • The piston ring must not cause excessive wear on the
• Ensuring a precisely defined lubricant film thickness on cylinder – otherwise, the service life of the engine is
the cylinder wall reduced drastically
• Distribution of the lubricating oil on the cylinder wall • Long service life, operational safety and cost effectiveness
• Stabilization of the piston movement (piston rocking) – over the entire operating time
particularly with cold engines and even larger running
clearance of the pistons in the cylinder
• Heat transfer (heat dissipation) from the piston to the
cylinder
1.2 THE MAIN TASKS OF PISTON RINGS
1.2.1 SEALING AGAINST COMBUSTION GASES
The key task of compression rings is to prevent combustion

gases between the piston and cylinder wall from penetrating
into the crankcase. On the majority of engines, this is achieved
via two compression rings, which combine to form a gas
labyrinth.
Piston ring sealing systems in combustion engines are not

100 % leak-tight due to the design, so that small quantities of
leak gas always enter the crankcase past the piston rings. This
is a normal fact, however, which cannot be avoided completely
due to the design.
Excessive transfer of hot combustion gases past the pistons

and cylinder wall must always be avoided, however. This would
result in loss of power, increased heat supply to the components
and loss of the lubricating effect. The service life and function
of the engine would be called into question by this. The
different ring and sealing functions and the resulting blow-by
gas emission is dealt with in more detail in the following
chapters. Sealing against combustion gases
1.2.2 SCRAPING OFF AND SPREADING OIL
In addition to the sealing between the crankcase and

combustion chamber, piston rings also regulate the oil film.
The rings distribute the oil evenly over the cylinder wall. Excess
oil is predominantly removed by the oil control ring (3rd ring),
but also by combined compression and scraper rings (2nd ring).
Scrape off and spread oil
1.2.3 HEAT DISSIPATION
Temperature management for the piston is another vital task

undertaken by the piston rings. Most of the heat (approx. 70 %)
that is absorbed by the piston during the combustion process is
dissipated by the piston rings to the cylinder. The compression
rings in particular play a significant role in the heat dissipation.
Without this continuous heat dissipation of the piston rings,

piston seizures would occur in the cylinder bore within a few
minutes or the piston could even melt. From this perspective,
it is understandable that the piston rings must have good
contact with the cylinder wall at all times. If irregularities occur
in the cylinder or blockages occur on the piston rings in the ring
groove (carbon deposits, dirt, deformation), it is only a matter
of time until the lack of heat dissipation causes overheating
phenomena on the piston.
Heat dissipation
1.3 TYPES OF PISTON RINGS
1.3.1 COMPRESSION RINGS
RECTANGULAR RINGS
Rectangular ring Rectangular ring with inside bevel Rectangular ring with inside step
The term rectangular ring refers to rings with a rectangular cross

section. Both ring sides are parallel to each other. This ring
version is the easiest and most frequently used type for
compression rings. Today, it is chiefly used as the first
compression ring in all passenger car petrol engines and
sometimes in utility vehicle diesel engines. Inside bevels and
inside steps cause ring twisting in installed (tensioned) state.
The position of the chamfer or the inside step on the top edge
causes “positive ring twisting”. A detailed description of how
the twisting works can be found in chapter 1.6.9 Ring twisting.
Rectangular ring
TAPER FACED RINGS – COMPRESSION RINGS WITH AN OIL SCRAPING FUNCTION
Taper faced ring Taper faced ring with inside bevel at bottom Taper faced ring with inside step at bottom
In addition to the function as a compression ring, taper faced

NOTE rings also have good oil scraping characteristics. This is
Taper faced rings are used in all types of engine (passenger car, achieved by the reset top ring edge. During the upwards
utility vehicle, petrol and diesel), primarily in the second ring movement from the lower to the upper top dead centre, the ring
groove. slides over the oil film. Due to the hydrodynamic forces (wedge
of lubricant formation), the ring is lifted slightly off the cylinder
surface. During the movement in opposite direction, the edge
These rings have a dual function. They support the compression moves deeper into the oil film and scrapes off the oil
ring with gas sealing and the oil control ring with regulating the predominantly towards the crankcase. On petrol engines, taper
oil film. faced rings are also inserted in the first ring groove. The
position of the chamfer or the inside step on the bottom edge
Taper faced rings (Fig. 2) have a conical mould on the sliding has a negative ring twist here (see chapter 1.6.9 Ring twisting).
surface. The angle deviation from the rectangular ring is approx.
45 to 60 angular minutes depending on the version. Due to the
mould, the ring only touches on the bottom edge in new state
and therefore only lies in the cylinder bore at specific points.
This causes a high mechanical surface pressure in this area
and results in a desired material removal. This desired running
in wear results in a perfect round shape after just a short
operating time and achieves a good sealing effect. After a
service life of several 100,000 km, the wear results in an
abrasion of the conical sliding surface so that the taper faced
ring carries out the function of a rectangular ring. The ring
previously produced as a taper faced ring still provides a good
sealing effect as a rectangular ring. Because the gas pressure
also acts on the ring from the front (the gas pressure can
penetrate into the sealing gap between the cylinder and piston
ring sliding surface), the gas pressure increase is reduced
slightly. During the running-in time of the ring, the contact
pressure is slightly reduced and the running-in is more gentle
with less wear.
Gas pressure on the taper faced ring

NAPIER RINGS
Napier ring
With the napier ring, the bottom edge of the piston ring sliding
surface has a rectangular or undercut recess, which also has an
oil scraping effect in addition to the gas sealing. The recess
creates a certain volume, in which the scraped off oil can collect
before running back into the oil pan.
In the past, the napier ring was used as a second compression

ring in many engine variants. These days, taper faced napier
rings are mainly used instead. Napier rings are also used with
compressor pistons for pneumatic brake systems – in this case,
mainly as the first compression ring.
Taper faced napier ring

The taper faced napier ring is the further development of the
napier ring. The oil scraping effect is increased by the conical
sliding surface. With piston compressors, the taper faced
napier ring is not only inserted in the second, but also in the
first ring groove.
Taper faced napier ring with closed joint

With some taper faced napier rings, the undercut recess does
not run to the joint end in order to improve the gas sealing
function. This means that, compared with the normal taper
faced napier ring, the blow-by gas emission is reduced
(see also chapter 1.6.5 Joint clearance).
KEYSTONE RINGS
Double-sided keystone ring One-sided keystone ring
With double-sided keystone rings, the two ring sides are not With one-sided keystone rings, the bottom ring side has no
parallel, but are positioned trapezoidally to each other. angle and is at a right-angle to the piston ring sliding surface.
The angle is usually 6 °, 15 ° or 20 °.
Keystone rings or one-sided keystone rings are used to combat The keystone ring is preferably inserted in the top ring groove
carbon deposits in the ring grooves, causing the rings to jam in on diesel engine due to the higher temperatures and soot
the ring grooves. Particularly when extremely high temperatures formation, and is sometimes also inserted in the second ring
occur within the ring groove, there is a risk that engine oil in the groove.
ring groove may become carbonised due to the temperature
impact. With diesel engines, soot formation occurs in addition
to potential oil coking. This also promotes deposits in the ring ATTENTION
groove. If the piston rings were to get stuck in the groove due to Keystone rings (one-sided and double) may not be inserted in
deposits, the hot combustion gases would be able to pass normal rectangular grooves. When using keystone rings, the
between the piston and cylinder wall unhindered and the ring grooves to be equipped on the piston must always have
piston would overheat. Removal of material by melting from the corresponding shape.
piston head and severe piston damage would be the result.
Cleaning function: Due to the shape of the keystone rings and the movement in the ring groove through the piston rocking
(see chapter 1.6.11 Piston ring movements), carbon deposits are mechanically rubbed off.
1.3.2 OIL CONTROL RINGS
FUNCTION
Oil control rings are designed to distribute oil on the cylinder

wall and to scrape the surplus oil off the cylinder wall. Oil
control rings usually have two scraping lands to improve the
sealing and scraping function. Each of these lands scrapes
surplus oil off the cylinder wall. A certain amount of oil volume
therefore occurs both on the bottom edge of the oil control ring
and between the lands, which must be drained out of the ring
area. From the point of view of the piston rocking movement
within the cylinder bore, the sealing function is better the
closer the two ring lands are to each other.
In particular the oil volume that is scraped off the top scraping
land and which occurs between the lands must be drained off
from this area, as it may otherwise get past the oil control ring
and will then have to be scraped off by the second compression
ring. To this end, one-part and two-part oil control rings have
either longitudinal slats or bores between the ring lands. The
oil scraped off the top land is guided through these openings
in the ring body to the rear side of the ring.
From there, the further drainage of the scraped off oil can take
place in different ways. One method is to guide oil into the oil
scraping groove on the inner side of the piston through bores
so that it can drip back into the oil pan from there. With Oil control ring
so-called cover slots (Fig. 1), the scraped off oil is fed back via
the recess around the pin boss on the outer side of the piston.
But a combination of both versions is also used.
NOTE
Both versions have proven themselves suitable for draining off For two-stroke engines, the lubrication of the piston takes place via
the scraped off oil. Depending on the piston shape, a mixture lubrication. Due to the design, this means that there is no
combustion process or use, one or the other version may be need to use an oil control ring.
used. Any general statement in favour of one or the other
version would be unsatisfactory. The decision regarding which
method is best suited for the relevant piston is therefore
determined in various practical test runs.
ONE-PART OIL CONTROL RINGS
One-part oil control rings are no longer used in modern engine

manufacture. They get their tension exclusively from the piston
ring cross section. These rings are therefore relatively rigid and
have a poorer fluidity and less effective sealing properties than
multi-part oil control rings. Single-part slotted oil control rings
are made from grey cast iron.
Oil control ring
MODELS
Slotted oil control ring

Simplest design with rectangular scraping lands and oil slits for
oil drainage.
Double-bevelled oil control ring

Compared with the slotted oil control ring, the edges of the
sliding lands are chamfered to achieve better surface pressure.
Top-bevelled oil control ring

With this ring, the sliding lands are only chamfered towards the
combustion chamber side. This results in a stronger oil scraping
effect during the downstroke of the piston.
TWO-PART OIL CONTROL RINGS (SPIRAL EXPANDER DESIGNS)
Two-part oil control rings consist of a ring body and a spiral To increase the durability, the outer diameters of the springs
spring behind it. The ring body has a significantly smaller cross are ground, wound tighter on the ring joint or coated with
section compared with the single-part oil control ring. This a teflon sheath. With these measures, the friction wear is
means that the ring body is relatively flexible and has an minimized between the ring body and spiral spring. The ring
extremely good fluidity. The spring bed of the spiral expander bodies of the two-part rings are made of either grey cast iron or
on the inside of the ring body is either semicircular or v-shaped. steel.
The actual tension comes from a coiled compression spring

made from heat-resistant spring steel. This is located behind NOTE
the ring and presses it against the cylinder wall. During The free gap – the distance of the joint ends of the ring body in
operation, the springs lie securely on the rear side of the ring dismantled state without the expander spring behind it – is
body and form a unit together. Although the spring does not irrelevant for multi-part oil control rings. The free gap can be
twist against the ring, the entire ring unit turns – like other almost zero with steel rings in particular. This is not a defect or
rings – freely in the piston ring groove. The radial pressure a reason for complaint.
distribution is always symmetrical on two-part oil control rings,
because the contact pressure is even over the entire
circumference of the spiral spring (see also chapter 1.6.2
Radial pressure distribution).
Slotted oil control ring with spiral expander

Simplest model with better sealing effect than with the single-
part slotted oil control ring.
Spiral expander top-bevelled oil control ring

Same sliding surface shape as with the top-bevelled oil control
ring, but with better sealing effect.
Double-bevelled spiral expander ring

Same sliding surface shape as with the double-bevelled oil
control ring, but with better sealing effect. This is the most widely
used oil control ring. It can be used in any engine version.
Double-bevelled spiral expander ring with chrome-plated sliding

lands
Same characteristics as with the double-bevelled spiral expander
ring, but with increased wear resistance, resulting in higher
durability. This makes it particularly well suited for diesel
engines.
Double-bevelled spiral expander ring made from nitrided steel

This ring is wound from a profile steel strip and has an antiwear
protective coat on all sides. It is extremely flexible and less prone
to breakage than the cast iron rings mentioned above. The oil
drainage between the rails is achieved via punched round
openings. This type of oil control ring is used mainly on diesel
engines.
THREE-PART OIL CONTROL RINGS
Three-part oil control rings consist of two thin steel rails, which
are pressed against the cylinder wall by a spacer expander
spring. Steel rail oil control rings are available with either
chrome-plated sliding surfaces or nitrided on all sides. The
latter offers better wearing properties on the sliding surface
and between the expander spring and the lamella (secondary
wear). Three-part oil control rings have an extremely good
fluidity and are used mainly on petrol engines in passenger
cars.
Three-part oil control ring

1.3.3 TYPICAL PISTON RING FITTING
1
The complex requirements placed on the piston rings can not
be met by just one piston ring. This can only be achieved with
a combination of different piston ring types. In modern vehicle
engine manufacture, a combination of a compression ring, a 2
combined compression and scraper ring and a pure oil control
ring has therefore become an established solution. Pistons 3
with more than three rings are relatively rare today.
01 Compression ring
02 Compression and scraper ring
03 Oil control ring
1.3.4 THE MOST COMMON PISTON RING
There is no such thing as the best piston ring, nor the best The final piston ring combination for a newly designed engine
piston ring fitting. Each piston ring is a ‘specialist’ in its field. is defined based on extensive test runs on the test rig – as well
Each ring version and ring composition is ultimately a as under normal operating conditions.
compromise of completely different and, in some cases,
contradictory requirements. Changing just one piston ring can
create imbalance in the entire ring set combination.
The table below is not guaranteed to be complete, but shows favourable– positive
how different ring characteristics impact on the different ring
medium – neutral
functions.
unfavourable – negative
Requirement Friction Running-in Durability
High ring tension
Low ring tension
Wear resistant material –
Softer material –
Low ring height
High ring height

1.4 PISTON RING DESIGNATIONS
01 01 Free gap
02 Joint ends
03 Back of the ring (opposite joint ends)
04 Piston ring sliding surface
05 Ring flank surface
02
06 Piston ring internal surface
07 Joint clearance (cold clearance)

06 08 Cylinder diameter
09 Radial wall thickness

10 Axial play
11 Piston ring height
05 12 Cylinder diameter
13 Groove base diameter
04 14 Groove height
03 15 Radial play
07
09
15
10
14 11
13
12
08
1.5 STRUCTURE AND SHAPE OF PISTON RINGS

1.5.1 PISTON RING MATERIALS
Piston ring materials are selected based on runnability and the

conditions that the piston rings have to work under. Good
elasticity and corrosion resistance are just as important as a
high resistance to damage under extreme operating conditions.
Grey cast iron is still the main material used to manufacture
piston rings today. From a tribological perspective, grey cast
iron and the graphite deposits in the joint offer extremely good
emergency running properties (dry lubrication via graphite).
These are particularly important if the lubrication via engine oil

is no longer guaranteed or the lubricating film is already
destroyed. Graphite veins within the ring structure also act as
an oil reservoir and, here to, serve to combat the destruction of
the lubricating film under adverse operating conditions.
The following materials are used as grey cast iron materials

• Cast iron with lamellar graphite structure (lamellar graphite
cast iron), annealed and non-annealed
• Cast iron with nodular graphite structure (nodular cast iron),
annealed and non-annealed Piston ring casting process
Chrome steel with martensitic microstructure and spring steel

are used as steel. To increase the wear resistance, the surfaces
are hardened. This usually takes place via nitriding*.
* In specialist language, nitriding refers to the supply of nitrogen and is a process for
hardening steel. Nitriding is usually carried out at temperatures between 500 and 520 °C
with treatment times of 1 to 100 hours. Nitrogen is diffused onto the workpiece surface
to form an extremely hard, superficial compound layer of iron nitride. Depending on the
treatment time, this can have a thickness between 10–30 µm. Common methods
include salt bath nitriding (e.g. crankshafts), gas nitriding (with piston rings) and plasma
nitriding.
1.5.2 COATING MATERIALS OF SLIDING SURFACES
Fully coated Inlaid Semi-inlaid
The sliding lands or sliding surfaces of piston rings can be

coated to improve the tribological* characteristics. The focus
here is on increasing the wear resistance and ensuring the
lubrication and sealing under extreme conditions. The coating
material must work harmoniously with the materials of the
piston ring and the cylinder wall, as well as with the lubricant.
The use of surface coatings is therefore widely spread on piston
rings. The rings of series engines are often coated with chrome,
molybdenum and ferrous oxide.
* Tribology (Greek) covers the research field and technology of interactive surfaces
in relative movement. It deals with the scientific description of friction, wear and
lubrication.
MOLYBDENUM COATINGS
To protect the rings against burn marks, the sliding surface of

compression rings (not oil control rings) can be filled or coated
on one surface with molybdenum. Flame spraying or plasma
spraying procedures can be used for this. With its high melting
point (2620 °C), molybdenum guarantees an extremely high
temperature resistance. The coating procedure also creates a
porous material structure. Engine oil can collect in the resulting
micro-cavities on the sliding surface of the rings (Fig. 2). This
ensures that engine oil is still present for lubricating the piston
ring sliding surface even under extreme operating states.
Characteristics
• High temperature resistance Microcaverns in the molybdenum
• Good emergency running properties coating
• Softer than chrome
• Less wear resistant than chrome rings
(more susceptible to dirt)
• More sensitive to ring flutter (with potential molybdenum
outbreaks in cases of extreme strain, e.g. with knocking
combustion and other combustion defaults)
GALVANIC COATINGS
CHROMIUM PLATINGS
Most chromium platings are achieved with galvanic processes.
Characteristics
• High durability (wear resistant)
• Hard, non-sensitive surface
• Reduced cylinder wear (approx. 50 % compared with
uncoated piston rings)
• Good resistance against burn marks
• Lower emergency running properties than with molybdenum
coatings
• Good wear resistance provides: a longer running-in time
than with unreinforced piston rings, steel rail oil control
rings or U-flex oil control rings Chromium plating
CC COATINGS (CHROME-CERAMICS) AND DC COATINGS (DIAMOND COATED)
These coatings consist of a galvanised chromium layer with

a network of cracks, into which firmly anchored hard materials
are embedded. Ceramic (CC) or microdiamonds (DC) are used
as the integrated material.
Characteristics
• Minimal frictional loss due to extremely smooth surface
• Maximum wear resistance and high durability due to
embedded hard materials
• Good burn mark resistance
• Low wear on the layer of the piston ring, with consistently
low cylinder wear
Chrome layer with a network of

cracks and inlaid hard materials
PVD COATINGS
PVD stands for “Physical Vapour Deposition”, a vacuum-based

coating procedure, where hard material layers (CrN –
chrome(III)-nitride) are applied directly on the piston ring
surface via vapour deposition.
Characteristics
• Frictional loses are minimized due to an extremely smooth
surface.
• Extremely high wear resistance is achieved with an
ultra-thin and dense layer structure with a high hardness
level.
• Due to the high wear resistance, the ring contour is retained
over a longer service life. With a PVD-coated oil control ring, PVD coating
for example, the ring tension can be reduced further,
resulting in significant friction advantages.
1.5.3 DETACHMENT OF COATING
Detachment of surface coatings occurs occasionally with

sprayed-on molybdenum and ferrous oxide layers. The main
reason for this is faults with mounting the piston rings
(excessive spreading when pulling on to the piston and pulling
on the rings, as shown in Fig. 1). If the rings are pulled incorrectly
on to the piston, the coating only breaks on the back of the ring
(Fig. 2). If the coating is flaking off on the joint ends, this is an
indication of ring flutter due to combustion faults (e.g. knocking
combustion).
Fig. 1: Twisting and

spreading of the
piston rings when
pulling onto the
piston
Fig. 2: Coating breaks out on

the back of the ring.
1.5.4 SLIDING SURFACE MACHINING (TURNED, LAPPED, GROUND)
Unreinforced piston rings made from cast iron are usually only
precision-turned on the sliding surface. Due to the quick
running-in time of unreinforced rings, no grinding or lapping
takes place on the sliding surface. With coated or hardened
surfaces, the sliding surfaces are either ground or lapped. The
reason for this is that, due to the high wear resistance, it would
take an extremely long time for the rings to take on a round
shape and seal correctly. This may result in loss of power and
high oil consumption.
Lathe for sliding surface machining

1.5.5 CROWNED SLIDING SURFACE SHAPES
Another reason for the use of grinding and lapping processes

in the shape of the sliding surface. Rectangular piston rings
(unreinforced) take on a crowned shape on the sliding surface
after a period of time (Fig. 1) – the reason for this is the
upwards and downwards movement and the movement of the
ring in the groove (ring twist). This has a positive impact on the
lubricating film build-up and durability of the rings.
During the production of coated piston rings, the rings are

already given a slight crowned shape. This means that they do
not have to run in to the desired shape first, but already have
a pre-run in sliding surface. This eliminates the high run-in wear
and associated oil consumption. Due to the point-based
contact with the piston ring sliding surface, a higher specific
contact pressure occurs on the cylinder wall, resulting in an
improved gas and oil sealing effect. The risk of edge riding is
also reduced through even sharper ring edges. Chrome rings
always have a bevelled edge to prevent the oil film from being
pushed through during running-in. The extremely hard chrome
layer could lead to significant wear in case of sub-optimal
design and cause damage on the much softer cylinder wall.
Symmetrical, crowned piston ring sliding surfaces (Fig. 2),

created either through running-in or during ring production, Fig. 1: Crowning due to running-in wear
have extremely good sliding properties and create a defined
lubrication film thickness. With symmetrical crowning, the
lubricating film thickness is equal during the upstroke and
downstroke of the piston. The forces on the ring, which cause
the ring to float on the oil film, are the same in both directions.
If the crowning is created during the ring production, there is

the option of creating an asymmetrical crowning for better oil
consumption control. The peak of the crowning is then not in
the centre of the sliding surface, but slightly below it (Fig. 3).
Fig. 2: Symmetrically crowned piston ring sliding surface
This asymmetrical pitch of the sliding surface creates a different
sliding surface during the upwards and downwards movement
of the ring. During the upwards movement, the ring is pressed
away from the oil more due to the larger surface area and less
oil is scraped off. During the downwards movement, the smaller
surface area means that the piston ring floats less and scrapes
off more oil (Fig. 4 and 5).
Fig. 3: Asymmetrically crowned piston ring sliding surface

Asymmetrically crowned rings are thus also used for the oil
consumption control, particularly in adverse operating
conditions in diesel engines. This occurs, for example, after
longer idling periods, where oil is often released in the exhaust
tract and blue smoke is often generated when the accelerator is
pressed again.
Fig. 4: High floating during the upwards movement
Fig. 5: Low floating in the downwards movement
1.5.6 SURFACE TREATMENTS
Depending on the version, the surfaces of piston rings can

either be bare, phosphated or copper-plated. This only has an
impact on the corrosion behaviour of the rings. Though bare
rings may shine beautifully in new condition, they are
completely unprotected against rust formation. Phosphated
rings have a black matt surface and are protected from rust
formation by the phosphate coat.
Copper-plated rings are also protected effectively from rust and

have slight protection from formation of burn marks during
running-in. The copper has a certain dry lubricating effect,
resulting in minimal emergency running properties during
running-in.
The surface treatments have no impact on the function of the

rings, however. So the colour of the piston ring also gives no
indication of the quality.
1.6 FUNCTION AND PROPERTIES
1.6.1 TANGENTIAL TENSION
Piston rings have a larger diameter in relaxed state than in To guarantee exact measurements, the measurement set-up is
installed state. This is necessary to create the required contact placed under vibration so that the expander spring can take on
pressure on all sides in the cylinder. its natural shape behind the ring body. With three-part steel rail
spring washers, axial fixing of the ring package is also
In practice, measuring the contact pressure in the cylinder is necessary due to the design, as the steel rails would otherwise
difficult. The diametral load that presses the ring on to the be deflected at the side and the measurement would not be
cylinder wall is therefore determined from the tangential force possible. Fig. 1 shows the schematic diagram of the tangential
based on a formula. The tangential force is the force required force measurement.
to pull the joint ends together on the joint clearance (Fig. 1).
The tangential force is measured with a flexible steel strip
placed around the ring. The strip is pulled together until the NOTE
specified joint clearance of the piston ring is achieved. The With piston rings, radial wear caused by mixed friction or long
tangential force can then be read off on the dynamometer. service life, results in a loss of tangential tension. It is only
The measurement of oil control rings always takes place with useful to measure the tension with new rings with a cross
the expander spring inserted. section that is still full.
Fig. 1: Tangential force measurement

1.6.2 RADIAL PRESSURE DISTRIBUTION
The radial pressure depends on the modulus of elasticity of the Four-stroke engines deviate from the symmetrical radial
material, the free gap in untensioned state and, last but not pressure distribution with compression rings. A pear-shaped
least, the cross section of the ring. There are two main methods distribution (positive-oval) is used instead to combat a
of differentiation with radial pressure distribution. The easiest tendency to flutter on the ring joint ends at higher speeds
method is the symmetrical radial pressure distribution (Fig. 2). (Fig. 3). Ring flutter always starts at the joint ends and is
This is the case with multi-part oil control rings in particular, transferred from there over the entire ring circumference. The
which consist of a flexible ring carrier or steel rails with a increase in the pressure force on the joint ends combats this,
relatively low internal stress. The expander spring behind as the piston rings in this area are pressed more forcefully onto
presses the ring carrier or the steel rails against the cylinder the cylinder wall, effectively reducing or preventing ring flutter.
wall. The expander spring, which is supported against the rear
side of the ring carrier or steel rail in compressed state
(installed situation), causes the radial pressure to act
symmetrically.
Fig. 2: Fig. 3:
Symmetrical radial Positive-oval radial pressure
pressure distribution distribution
1.6.3 INCREASE IN CONTACT PRESSURE DUE TO COMBUSTION PRESSURE
Much more important than the internal stress of the piston With a higher number of compression rings, no further increase
rings is the increase in contact pressure due to the combustion in contact pressure occurs from the second compression ring
pressure acting on the compression rings during engine onwards as a result of the increase in contact pressure.
operation.
Pure oil control rings only work based on their internal stress.
Up to 90 % of the total pressure force of the compression ring is The gas pressure can not act as a contact pressure amplifier
generated by combustion pressure during the combustion here due to the special shape. The distribution of forces on the
cycle. As shown in Fig. 1, the pressure is applied behind the piston ring is also dependent on the shape of the piston ring
compression rings and presses them even more firmly against sliding surface. With taper faced rings and crowned ground
the cylinder wall. This increase in contact pressure acts mainly compression rings, gas pressure also enters the sealing gap
on the first compression ring and to a lesser degree on the between the piston ring sliding surface and cylinder wall and
second compression ring. acts against the gas pressure applied behind the piston ring
(see chapter 1.3.1 Compression rings).
The gas pressure for the second piston ring can be controlled
by varying the joint clearance of the first compression ring. With The axial pressure force acting on a compression ring on the
a slightly larger joint gap, more combustion pressure is applied bottom groove side is only generated by the gas pressure. The
on the rear side of the compression ring, for example, which internal stress of the rings does not act in axial direction.
causes an increase in the contact pressure here too.
NOTE
During idling, the poorer filling of the cylinders results in a
lower contact pressure increase on the rings. This is particularly
notable on diesel engines. Engines left idling for a long time
have increased oil consumption, as the scraping action suffers
from a lack of gas pressure support. Often, the engines emit
blue oil clouds from the exhaust after a longer idling period,
because oil was able to collect in the cylinder and exhaust tract
and is only burnt when the accelerator is pressed.
Fig. 1: Increase in contact pressure

1.6.4 SPECIFIC CONTACT PRESSURE
Fig. 2 and Fig. 3: Ring tension and specific pressure force
The specific contact pressure depends on the ring tension and

the contact surface of the ring on the cylinder wall. There are ATTENTION
two options for doubling the specific pressure force: Either the The ring tension can not be used on its own to assess the
ring tension is doubled or the contact surface of the ring is contact pressure of the sealing behaviour. When comparing
halved in the cylinder. In Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, it is apparent that the piston rings, the size of the sliding surface must always be
resulting force (specific pressure force = force × surface) acting taken into account.
on the cylinder wall is always equal, even though the ring
tension has been doubled or halved.
On newer engines, the trend is leaning towards flatter ring

heights, as the goal is to reduce the internal friction in the
engine. This can only be achieved, however, if the active
contact area of the ring with the cylinder wall is reduced. With
half the ring height, the piston ring tension is also halved, and
thus also the friction.
Because the remaining force acts on a smaller area, the specific

contact pressure on the cylinder wall (force × area) with half the
surface and half the tension is as large as with double the area
and double the tension.
1.6 FUNCTION AND PROPERTIES
1.6.5 JOINT CLEARANCE
The joint clearance (Fig.1) is an important constructional

feature to guarantee the function of the piston rings. It is
therefore comparable with the valve clearance of the intake and
exhaust valves. When the components are warmed up, the
natural thermal expansion results in an extension or diameter
expansion. Depending on the difference between the ambient
and operating temperature, more or less cold clearance is
required to guarantee the function when running at operating
temperature.
Fig. 1: Joint clearance in installed state
One basic requirement for the correct function of the piston

rings is that they must be able to turn freely in the grooves. If
piston rings were to become jammed in the grooves, they would
neither seal nor dissipate the heat. The joint clearance that
must also be present at operating temperature, guarantees that
the circumference of the piston ring always remains smaller
than the cylinder circumference due to its thermal expansion.
If the joint clearance were to be removed completely due to the
thermal expansion, the joint ends of the piston rings would be
pressed against each other. If further pressure were to be
applied, the piston ring would even have to bend to Fig. 2: Deformation of the piston ring at operating temperature
compensate for the change in length due to the heat. Because
that piston ring would be unable to expand in radial direction
due to thermal expansion, the change in length could only be
compensated for in axial direction. Fig. 2 shows how the ring is
deformed if space becomes too tight in the cylinder.
The following calculation shows, based on the example of

a piston ring with 100 mm diameter, how the length of the
circumference changes on the piston ring in operating
temperature.
Example calculation
Cylinder diameter d = 100 mm
Ambient temperature t1 = 20 °C = 293 K
Operating temperature t2 = 200 °C = 473 K
Coefficient of linear expansion of cast iron α = 0.000010 K-1
Circumference of the piston ring

U = d × π
U = 100 × 3.14 = 314 mm
U = l1
Change in length of the piston ring under operating temperature

∆l = l1 × α × ∆t
∆l = l1 × α × (t2–t1)
∆l = 314 × 0.000010 × 180 = 0.57 mm
In this example, a joint clearance of at least 0.6 mm is therefore

required to ensure the correct function. So it is not only the
pistons and the piston rings that expand, but also the diameter
of the cylinder bore, which also becomes larger when heated
up at operating temperature. This means that the joint
clearance may be slightly smaller again. But the cylinder bore
does not expand anywhere near as much as the piston ring as a Fig. 3: Funnel shape of the
result of the thermal expansion. On the one hand, the structure cylinder at operating
of the cylinder block is more rigid than that of the piston, on the temperature
other hand, the cylinder surface is not as hot as the piston with
the piston rings.
The diameter expansion of the cylinder bore as a result of the

thermal expansion is not equal over the entire running surface
of the cylinder liner. The cylinder will expand more in the top
area due to the heat introduction from the combustion than in
the bottom area. Therefore, due to the uneven thermal
expansion of the cylinder, a deviation in the cylinder shape will
occur, which takes on a slight funnel shape (Fig. 3).
1.6.6 PISTON RING SEALING FACES
Piston rings not only seal on the sliding surface, but also on
the lower flank. The sealing effect on the sliding surface is
responsible for the ring sealing to the cylinder wall; the bottom
groove side is responsible for sealing the rear side of the ring.
So good contact between the ring and the cylinder wall is
required, as well as good contact with the bottom groove side
of the piston (Fig. 1). Without this contact, oil or combustion
gases can pass by the ring via the rear side of the ring.
The figures clearly show that the wear (dirt and long service life)
means that the sealing on the rear side of the ring is no longer
guaranteed and that higher levels of gas and oil transfer occur Fig. 1: Sealing through the groove side
through the groove. It is therefore not helpful to fit new rings in
worn ring grooves. The unevennesses on the groove side do not
seal against the ring and the expanded height of the groove
allows the ring to move more freely. Because the ring is not
guided correctly in the groove due to excessive height
clearance, the ring lifts much more easily off the groove side,
oil is pumped much more easily (Fig. 2 and 3) and ring flutter
and loss of sealing effect occur much more readily. Excessive
crowning also occurs on the sliding surface of the ring. This
results in an excessively thick oil film and increased oil
consumption.
Fig. 2: Intake cycle
Fig. 3: Compression cycle

1.6.7 THROTTLE GAP AND BLOW-BY
Because, due to the design, it is not possible to achieve 100 %

gas sealing with the piston rings used in engine manufacture,
leak gas quantities occur, which are also known as blow-by
gases. Combustion gases pass into the crankcase past pistons
and piston rings through even the smallest sealing gaps. The
leakage gas quantity is determined by the size of the gas
leakage area (x and y in Fig. 4), which can be calculated based
on the joint clearance and half the piston-to-wall clearance. In
contrast to the graph shown, the gas leakage area is actually
extremely small. As a rule of thumb for the maximum blow-by
gas emission, around 0.5 % of the air intake quantity is expected.
More or less blow-by gas is generated during operation
depending on the piston ring position. If the joint clearances of
the first and second compression ring match in the piston ring
grooves, slightly more blow-by is generated. This occurs at
regular intervals during operation, as the rings turn at several
rotations per minute in the ring grooves. If the joint clearances
are exactly opposite each other, the leakage gas has another Fig. 4: Gas leakage area
route through the sealing labyrinth, meaning that reduced gas
losses occur. Blow-by gas that enters the crankcase is fed back
into the intake air system via the crankcase ventilation and
supplied to the combustion. The reason for this is the health-
damaging characteristics of the gases. These are rendered
harmless by the repeat combustion in the engine.
The ventilation of the crankcase is also required, because
excess pressure in the crankcase would result in increased oil
leakage on the radial oil seals of the engine.
If the blow-by gas emission increases, this either indicates

significant wear on the piston rings after a long service life,
or the piston crown already has cracks that allow combustion
gases to enter the crankcase. But an incorrect cylinder geometry
(see chapter 2.3.5 Cylinder geometry and roundness) also
leads to increased blow-by gas emission.
With stationary engines or test-rig engines, the blow-by gas

emission is measured and monitored constantly and used as a
warning indicator for emerging engine damage. If the measured
blow-by gas volume exceeds the maximum permissible value,
the engine is switched off automatically. This helps to avoid
severe and expensive engine damage.
1.6.8 RING HEIGHT CLEARANCE
The ring height clearance (Fig. 1) is not the result of wear in the
ring groove. The height clearance is an important functional
dimension to ensure the correct function of piston rings. The
ring height clearance guarantees that the rings can move freely
in the piston ring grooves (see also chapter 1.6.11 Piston ring
movements).
It must be large enough that the ring does not become jammed
under operating temperature and that sufficient combustion
pressure can flow into the groove to build up behind the ring
(see also chapter 1.6.3 Increase in contact pressure due to
combustion pressure).
Fig. 1: Ring height clearance
But, conversely, the ring height clearance must not be too large,
as the ring would receive less axial guidance. This promotes
ring flutter (chapter 2.6.7 Ring flutter) and also excessive 1.6.9 RING TWISTING
twisting. The result is problematic wear on the piston ring
(excessive crowning on the piston ring sliding surface) and
increased oil consumption (chapter 1.6.6 Piston ring sealing Inside steps or inside bevels on piston rings result in twisting in
faces). tensioned, installed state. In dismantled, untensioned state,
the twisting is not effective (Fig. 2) and the ring lies flat in the
ring groove.
If the ring is installed – i.e. tensioned – the ring is deflected to
the weaker side, where material is missing due to the inside
bevel or the inside step. The ring is bent or twisted. Depending
on the position of the chamfer or the angle on the bottom or
top edge, we refer to a positive or negative twisting piston ring
(Fig. 3 and 4).
Fig. 2: Fig. 3: Fig. 4:

Piston rings untensioned – twisting still Positive twist Negative twist
ineffective
RING TWIST UNDER OPERATING CONDITIONS
With positively and negatively twisting rings, the twisting is

effective if no combustion pressure is acting on the ring (Fig. 5).
As soon as the combustion pressure enters the ring groove, the
piston ring is pressed flat on the bottom groove side, creating
improved oil consumption control (Fig. 6).
Positive twisting rectangular and taper faced rings have a good

oil scraping behaviour in principle. If friction occurs on the
cylinder wall during the downstroke of the piston, the ring may
lift off the bottom groove side slightly, however, so that oil still
enters the sealing gap and contributes to the oil consumption.
The negatively twisting ring seals on the bottom ring side on

the outside and against the ring groove on the top side on the
inside. This blocks the oil from entering the groove. This means
that the oil consumption can be influenced positively with
negatively twisting rings, particularly in part-load operation and
with vacuum in the combustion chamber (overrun condition).
With negatively twisting rings, the angle on the sliding surface
is 2° larger than with normal taper faced rings. This is necessary,
because the negative twisting of the angle is partially removed
again.
Fig. 5: Fig. 6:
Without combustion pressure With combustion pressure
1.6.10 FLUIDITY
Fluidity refers to how well the ring adapts to the shape of the As described in this brochure, the pressure force for multi-part
cylinder wall to achieve a good sealing effect. The fluidity of a oil control rings comes from the corresponding expander
ring depends on the elasticity of the ring or ring body (two-part springs. The ring body or steel rails are extremely flexible and
oil control rings) or the steel rails (multi-part oil control rings), adaptable.
as well as the contact pressure of the ring / ring body on the
cylinder wall. The fluidity is better the more elastic the ring/ring Good fluidity is particularly important if cylinder irregularities
body is and the higher the contact pressure. Large ring heights and cylinder unevennesses occur due to form deviations. These
and large ring cross sections have a high rigidity and also result are caused by distortions (thermal and mechanical), as well as
in higher inertial forces during operation due to the higher by machining and fitting errors. See also chapter 2.3.5 Cylinder
weight. They therefore don't fair as well in terms of fluidity as geometry and roundness.
rings with low ring heights and low ring cross sections,
resulting in lower inertial forces.
Multi-part oil control rings offer extremely good fluidity, as they

have a highly flexible ring body or steel rails, without having to
fulfil high tension requirements.
Fig. 1: Poor fluidity

1.6.11 PISTON RING MOVEMENTS
RING ROTATION AXIAL MOVEMENT
In order to run in and seal perfectly, piston rings must be able Ideally, the rings should be in contact with the bottom groove
to turn in the ring grooves. The ring rotation is created on the side. This is important for the sealing function, as the rings do
one hand by the honing structure (cross-hatch), as well as by not only seal on the piston ring sliding surfaces, but also on the
the piston rocking movement in the upper and lower piston bottom ring sides. The bottom groove side seals the ring
dead centre. Flatter honing angles cause less ring rotation and against gas or the passage of oil on the rear side of the ring.
steeper angles cause higher ring rotation rates. The ring The sliding surface of the piston ring seals the front side to the
rotation is also dependent on the engine speed. 5 to 15 cylinder wall (see from chapter 1.6.6 Piston ring sealing faces).
rotations per minute are realistic rotation figures – merely as an
indication of the quantity of ring rotations. The upstroke and downstroke of the piston and the reversal of
direction cause inertial forces to act on the rings, causing the
With two-stroke engines, the rings are secured against twisting. rings to lift off the bottom groove side. An oil film within the
This also prevents rebounding of the joint ends in the gas groove dampens the lifting off of the piston rings from the
channels. Two-stroke engines are mainly used in bicycles, bottom groove side caused by the centrifugal forces. Problems
garden equipment and similar. The uneven wear on the rings here occur mainly when the ring grooves have been expanded
resulting from the prevented ring rotation, the possible coking due to wear, resulting in an excessively large ring height
in the ring grooves and the reduced service life are accepted clearance. This causes the ring to lift off its contact surface on
here. This type of application is designed for a shorter engine the piston and leads to ring flutter emitting mainly from the
service life anyway. On a normal four-stroke vehicle engine joint ends. The sealing effect of the piston ring is lost and oil
used on the road, significantly higher requirements are placed consumption increases. This is the case in the intake cycle in
on the mileage. particular, if the downstroke of the piston and the resulting
vacuum in the combustion chamber lifts the rings off the groove
The twisting of the ring joints towards each other by 120° base and the oil is sucked past the rear side of the ring into the
during installation is merely intended to ensure better start-up combustion chamber. In the other three cycles, the pressure
of the new engine. During subsequent operation, every from the combustion chamber presses the rings onto the
conceivable position of the piston rings is possible within the bottom ring side.
ring groove if the rotation is not prevented by the design
(two-stroke engines).
RADIAL MOVEMENT
Basically, the rings do not move radially

backwards and forwards, but rather the
piston completes a change of bearing
surfaces from one cylinder wall to the
other in the cylinder bore due to the
reversing movement. This takes place in
both the top and the bottom piston dead
centre. This leads to the radial movement
of the ring within the piston ring groove.
A forming carbon layer is thus ground off
(particularly on keystone rings) and ring
rotation occurs in conjunction with the
cross-hatch.
Radial movement of the piston ring
RING TWIST
The rings are moved as a result of inertial

forces, ring twisting and the ring height
clearance – as shown in the figure. As
described in chapter 1.5.5 Crowned
sliding surface shapes, the piston rings
run in in a crowned shape over time.
Ring twisting
2. INSTALLATION AND SERVICE 38 | 39
2 INSTALLATION AND SERVICE
2.1 ASSESSMENT OF USED COMPONENTS

As part of a sealing system consisting of pistons, cylinders,
engine oil and piston rings, piston rings can only fulfil their
tasks to the extent that the function of the other components
will permit. If the efficiency of a sealing component is reduced
due to wear, the overall efficiency of the sealing system is
reduced as a result.
The suitability for reuse of piston ring interacting sliding parts

that are already run in (pistons and cylinders) should be
assessed carefully. The sealing system is only as good as the
weakest component in it. It is therefore not appropriate to
recondition an engine merely by replacing piston rings. If the
rings are worn, it can be assumed that the interacting sliding
parts of the piston rings are also worn. Merely replacing the
rings and reusing a worn piston or worn cylinder liner will not
deliver the desired results. Remedying loss of power or
excessively high oil consumption in this way is therefore a futile
undertaking and will only be successful over the short term,
if at all.
The causes at the heart of this state are described in chapter

1.6.6 Piston ring sealing faces, among others.
2.2 ASSESSMENT OF USED PISTONS
2.2.1 MEASUREMENT AND ASSESSMENT OF THE RING GROOVES
If new piston rings are to be pulled on to pistons that have

already been run in, the ring height clearance determines
whether the piston can be reused. The relevant piston ring is
inserted in the cleaned ring groove as shown in Fig. 1 and
measured with a feeler gauge. If a new piston ring is to be
measured in a run-in piston, the method shown in the figure is
better than mounting the piston ring on the piston. Pulling the
piston ring repeatedly on and off the piston may cause material
deformation on the piston ring, which impairs the function.
Fig. 1: Measuring the ring height clearance

ATTENTION
The wear dimension refers to the outer edges of the ring groove
x
to be measured, i.e. it must not be possible for the feeler gauge
with a thickness of 0.12 mm to be pushed between the piston
ring and ring groove as shown in Fig. 2. In this case, the ring
groove is classed as already worn.
Ring height clearance (mm) Suitability of the piston

0.05-0.10 Pistons can be used
0.11-0.12 Increased caution is required

!
> 0.12 x Piston is worn and has to be

replaced
Fig. 2: Worn ring groove
It is not possible to check the ring height clearance on keystone

rings in pulled-on and untensioned state. Due to the keystone
shape, the correct ring height clearance is only achieved in the
keystone groove if the piston ring is pressed together on the
cylinder dimension or mounted in the cylinder.
This means that a measurement is difficult. For this reason,

the inspection must be restricted to a visual inspection of the
groove for wear (Fig. 3).
Fig. 3: Visual inspection of the groove

2.3 ASSESSMENT OF USED CYLINDER BORES
2.3.1 BRIGHT RUNNING SURFACE OF THE CYLINDER LINERS (GREY CAST IRON CYLINDERS)
Bright, ultra-smooth cylinder surfaces which no longer have any Localised bright spots on the cylinder sliding surface after
honing grooves are either the result of natural wear or a long a relatively short service life (the honing structure has also
service life or, after a short service life, are caused by dirt and been completely removed in this area) are an indication that
mixed friction. mixed friction and increased wear in the cylinder has occurred
in the area with the bright spots. There are two main causes for
The fact that all honing grooves have been removed due to localised bright spots such as these.
wear is a reliable indication that a cylinder bore is worn.
Re-measuring with suitable measuring equipment is not
necessary. Such cylinders should always be replaced (cylinder
liners) or freshly drilled and honed (engine blocks).
2.3.2 LOCALISED BRIGHT SPOTS DUE TO CYLINDER DISTORTIONS
Cylinder distortions result in irregularities at indefinite points At the raised points in the constrictions, inadequate lubrication
within the cylinder (Fig. 1). The position of the bright spots is and mixed friction occurs as the piston ring slides over,
the same as the place where the distortion occurred. The piston combined with intermittent contact with the cylinder wall.
rings run over these constrictions and mainly wear off material
there. Causes include
• Thermal distortions due to localised overheating – caused
by poor heat transfer (soiling) to the cooling agent
• Failure to observe the specified tightening torque, use of
incorrect O-rings or other distortions due to tightening
Remedy
• Thorough cleaning and reworking where necessary of the
cylinder counter bore for wet and dry cylinder bores
• Exact compliance with the tightening specifications when
mounting the cylinder head
• Regular cleaning of the cooling fins of air cooled cylinders
• Ensuring correct function of the cooling system (circulation
speed, cleanliness)
• Use of the specified sealing rings (dimensions, material
composition)
Fig. 1: Localised bright spots

2.3.3 BRIGHT AND POLISHED AREAS IN THE TOP CYLINDER AREA (BORE POLISHING)
There are bare points in the top area of the running surface of Remedy
the cylinder liner run over by the top land (Fig. 2). This is due to • Correct operation of the engine
hard deposits on the top land caused by irregular combustion, • Use of the specified oil qualities
poor oil quality or low combustion temperatures as a result of • Use of branded fuel
frequent idling periods or part-load operation. Here, the carbon • Correct maintenance, inspection and adjustment of the fuel
layer (Fig. 3) causes abrasive wear on the cylinder wall, injection system
damages the oil film, causes mixed friction, increased piston
ring wear and high oil consumption.
Fig. 2: Bright and polished areas in Fig. 3: Carbon layer on the top land
the top cylinder area
2.3.4 TOP RING REVERSAL BORE WEAR
Top ring reversal bore wear (Fig. 1) occurs after a long service The top ring reversal bore wear is largest in the piston ring
life on the turning points of the piston rings in the top and turning zone close to the top piston dead centre as a result of
bottom top dead centre. In this area, the piston speed is the design, as the cylinder surface is subjected to the hot
reduced and even comes to a standstill briefly on the turning combustion here, which impedes the lubrication.
point. This impedes the lubricating effect, as the piston ring
briefly no longer floats on the oil film due to the lack of relative The extent of the top ring reversal bore wear determines
speed to the cylinder wall and metal contact with the cylinder whether the cylinder liner or engine block can be reused. If the
wall occurs. top ring reversal bore wear exceeds the values listed in the
table, the cylinder liner must be replaced or the engine block
must be freshly honed. If similar levels of wear occur at a
different point in the cylinder, the wear dimensions listed
below obviously also apply here.
Fig. 3 shows what happens when a new piston is inserted in a

worn cylinder bore. Because the new piston has no ring groove
wear and the piston rings still have sharp edges, the piston ring
edge hits against the wear edge of the cylinder during
operation. The result is high mechanical forces, high wear and
piston ring fluttering, combined with high oil consumption.
Engine type Top ring reversal bore wear limit “X”

Petrol engines ≥ 0.1 mm
Diesel engines ≥ 0.15 mm
Fig. 1: Top ring reversal bore wear
Fig. 2: Impact of the piston ring with the old piston Fig. 3: Impact of the piston ring with the new piston
2.3.5 CYLINDER GEOMETRY AND ROUNDNESS
Perfect cylinder geometries are essential for optimal piston ring This leads to increased passage of oil in the cylinder, increased
sealing. Deviations from the cylinder shape, irregularities, blow-by gas emission, temperature and efficiency problems.
dimensional faults and distortions in the cylinder bores result These, in turn, are causes of early wear and even piston
in sealing problems on the piston rings. damage.
CLASSIFICATION OF CYLINDER IRREGULARITIES
Irregularities in the bore geometry are divided into levels. Particularly with newer piston designs, where the piston ring
A perfect cylinder bore with no irregularities or form deviations heights are close to one millimetre or even lower, the sealing
in axial direction is classed as a stage 1 bore. Oval bores, which problems become increasingly pronounced with irregular
are often caused by machining faults or poor heat dissipation, cylinder bores. The design-based reduction of the piston ring
are known as stage 2 irregularities. Stage 3 triangular irregulari heights serves to reduce frictional losses inside the engine and
ties are mainly the result of a superposition of stage 2 and thus also the fuel consumption. The reduction of the contact
stage 4 distortions. Stage 4 irregularities, i.e. square shape surfaces of these rings on the cylinder wall requires a lower
faults, are usually caused by distortions resulting from the piston ring tension. The specific surface pressure of the rings
tightening of the cylinder head bolts. would otherwise become too large and the tribological
characteristics would become worse. If the bore geometries are
The extent of the irregularity can fluctuate between zero and correct, this design-based reduction of the piston ring tension
several hundredth of a millimetre. Due to low piston installation has no negative effects. The rings seal extremely well, cause
or piston-to-wall clearances on some engines, distortions of only minor frictional losses and have a high durability. With
more than a hundredth of a millimetre (0.01 mm) may therefore irregular and distorted cylinders, the lower piston ring tension
already be too much. Piston rings are only capable of reliably means that the rings do not adapt or adapt extremely slowly to
sealing minor stage 2 irregularities, i.e. slightly oval cylinder the cylinder wall and can therefore not fulfil their specified
bores and slight keystone shapes in axial direction. Stage 3 sealing function.
and stage 4 irregularities, as are often created by screw
distortions and/or machining faults, can quickly bring the
piston rings to the limits of their sealing function.
Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4

2.3.6 CAUSES OF IRREGULARITIES AND DISTORTIONS ON CYLINDER BORES
Irregularities and distortions on cylinder bores can be caused

by the following:
• Thermal distortions caused during operation due to poor

heat dissipation as a result of faults in the coolant
circulation or, on air-cooled engines, caused by soiled,
oil-contaminated cooling fins and/or ventilation problems.
The localised overheating of the cylinder sliding surface
occurring in the cylinder results in increased thermal
expansion in this area, thus causing form deviations from
the ideal cylinder shape
• Design-related thermal distortions caused by different
thermal expansion during engine operation
• Thermal distortions resulting from poor lubrication and
cooling during cylinder machining
• Irregularities due to excessively high machining pressures
or the use of incorrect tools during honing
• Distortion due to tightening on the cylinder caused by
shape inaccuracies and incorrect screw tightening
Fig. 1 is classed as a stage 4 cylinder distortion, which also

occurs if the cylinder head bolts are tightened correctly as
a result of the design.
01
01
02
01
02
01 Tightening force of the cylinder

head fixing bolts
02 Pressure force of the cylinder
head and cylinder head gasket
03 Cylinder deformation
(significantly exaggerated)
03
Fig. 1: Stage 4 cylinder distortion

2.3.7 REWORKING USED CYLINDER BORES
When replacing pistons or piston rings, so-called honing

brushes or spring-loaded honing stones are often used in
practice (Fig. 2 and 3). This machining step has little to do with
correct honing, however. The more or less worn running surface
of the cylinder liner is merely cleaned and roughened slightly.
The cylinder geometry cannot be improved with this process.
Because the grinding tools are spring-loaded, they follow every
irregularity and every distortion and no improvement in the
geometry can be achieved. The low contact pressure also
means that it is almost impossible to achieve useful roughness
values that could help to improve the lubricating effect. Only
a slightly higher frictional resistance for the new piston rings is
created, enabling them to adapt slightly faster to the cylinder
wall. The wear present on the cylinder surface can not be
reversed or improved. No lasting improvements in the cylinder
sliding surfaces can therefore be achieved with honing brushes
or spring-loaded honing stones – merely a slightly better
appearance and a slightly shorter running-in time. This means
that this method can not be regarded as a repair or
reconditioning method.
x x
Fig. 2: Spring-loaded honing stones Fig. 3: Honing brushes

2.4 PISTON AND PISTON RING ASSEMBLY
The biggest piston ring problems and damage occur as a result
of the rings being pulled incorrectly on to the pistons. This is
where the piston ring is subjected to the highest mechanical
strain. Pulling on the rings incorrectly has a negative impact on
the contour and radial pressure distribution of the ring created
during production. The desired sealing function is therefore
only partially achieved or may even no longer be achieved at
all.
A piston ring may only be spread far enough so that the inside
diameter can be brushed over the outside diameter of the
piston. Further spreading results in distortion of the ring,
particularly on the back of the ring (Fig. 1), causing significant
sealing problems in installed state.
Fig. 1: Excessive spreading of the piston ring
Breaks, detachment of coatings (particularly on rings filled with
molybdenum), reduced pressure forces on the back of the ring,
through to crescent-shaped gaps (Fig. 2) are all problems that
impair the function of the piston ring or cause it to fail completely.
ATTENTION
Never bend the piston rings up to increase the tension! When
the joint ends are pulled apart, the ring only bends in one place
– at the back of the ring. The ring tension can not be increased
in this way. Quite the opposite: If the ring is bent up or bent out
of shape excessively, the ring loses its round shape and can no
longer seal correctly.
Fig. 2: Formation of crescent-shaped gaps due to excessive

spreading
2.4.1 MOUNTING AND DISASSEMBLING PISTON RINGS
• Clean used pistons carefully to remove stuck-on dirt. Ensure

in particular that the ring grooves are free from carbon and
dirt. If necessary, clean oil drainage bores with a drill or
other suitable tool.
• Take care not to damage the groove sides when removing
carbon. The bottom groove side is a sealing area. Damage
due to scratches can cause high oil consumption or
increased blow-by gas emission during engine operation.
• Always use piston ring pliers for mounting and dismantling
piston rings. Other tools, such as wire loops or screwdrivers,
damage the piston ring and the piston.
• Never pull on the rings by hand (exception: steel cup
segment type double bevelled oil control rings). There is not
only a risk of the ring breaking, bending and being subjected
to excessive strain, but also the risk of injury when the ring Piston ring mounting set
breaks or due to sharp ring edges. Item no. 12 00001 16 900 (passenger cars)
Item no. 12 00002 16 900 (utility vehicles)
ATTENTION
Pulling on the piston ring quickly by hand without breaking it
may demonstrate the skill of the mechanic, but usually also
damages the piston ring during the mounting stage.
x
• Never pull the ring over the piston in the way shown. If the
ring bends and no longer lies flat in the groove, it will no
longer rotate in the groove, becomes worn on one side or no
longer seals correctly. Even worse for rings with a
molybdenum coating, however, is flaking or breaking of the
molybdenum layer. If the loss of the sliding layer does not
occur during installation, then it will definitely happen
during engine running. The sliding layer comes loose,
damages the piston and cylinder and the piston eats away
the cylinder bore, because hot combustion gases blow
through between the piston and the cylinder wall. The loose
parts lead to damage on the piston and cylinder sliding
surfaces.
• Avoid pulling the piston rings on and off unnecessarily. The
rings bend slightly during each mounting. Do not pull off the
rings of pre-assembled pistons to measure them, for
example.
• Observe the installation sequence of the rings: First mount
the oil control ring, then the second compression ring,
followed by the first compression ring.
• Observe the installation markings. “Top” means that this

side must point upwards to the combustion chamber. If you
are unsure or if no “Top” mark is present, mount the ring
with the writing pointing upwards.
• Check whether the rings can be freely (turned) rotated in the

ring grooves.
• Check whether the ring disappears completely into the ring

groove over the entire circumferenc, i.e. the sliding surface
of the ring must not protrude over the piston skirt. This is
important because, if there is no groove base clearance
(incorrect ring or groove base carbonised), the ring function
is not guaranteed.
• When installing two-part oil control rings, always note the

position of the spiral expander. The ends of the spiral
expander must always be opposite the ring joint.
• With three-part rings, the correct position of the expander
spring is essential to guarantee the oil scraping function.
Before the piston installation, always check the position of
the expander springs even with pistons with pre-assembled
rings. During transport the spiral ends are untightened and
can slip one above another. Both colour markings at the
spiral ends must be visible. If they are not visible, the spiral
x
has overlapped and the ring is not working. All ring joints of
the three-part oil control ring (the two steel rails and the
expander spring) must be turned against each other by
120° each.
• Turn the piston ring joints of the installation-ready piston so

that the piston ring joints are turned roughly 120° towards
each other. This helps the piston or the piston rings during
the first engine start. Reason: The compression is slightly
lower during the first engine start, as the piston rings are
not yet run in. Turning the joint ends towards each other
prevents too much blow-by gas from being created during
the first engine start, causing the engine to start up poorly.
2.4.2 INSERTING THE PISTON INTO THE CYLINDER BORE
• Clean the sealing area of the engine block thoroughly of

fragments of gaskets if it was not reworked during the
reconditioning.
• Clean all tapped holes carefully from dirt, oil and coolant
agent which may still be there.
• Carry out all cleaning work before installing the pistons in
the cylinder.
• Wet all surfaces on the piston with fresh engine oil – do not
forget the piston pins and connecting rod bearings.
• Note the direction of installation of the piston (installation
markings on the piston crown, valve pockets).
• Clean the cylinder bore again with a cloth and also wet this
with engine oil.
• Check your piston ring scuff band for damage and dents and
remove them or replace the tool if necessary.
• During piston installation, ensure that the piston ring clamp
or the conical assembly sleeve lies flat on the cylinder head
sealing face.
• Do not install the piston in the engine without using a fitting
tool (risk of injury, risk of ring breakage).
x
x • A large amount of pressure must not be necessary when
installing the piston. If a piston cannot be pushed into the
cylinder, always check the piston ring clamp. Do not turn
the opening of the clamp so that it lines up with the joint
ends of the rings.
• When using a hammer handle for installation, only the
weight of the hammer may act on the piston crown. Never
use the hammer to drive the piston into the cylinder with
force. If the piston rings do not break during installation,
they can still be bent and can no longer fulfil their function
completely later during engine running.
• Installation using force not only damages the rings, but can
also damage the piston. This is particularly the case for
pistons in petrol engines. On these engines, the top and
ring lands are extremely thin in some cases and may crack
slightly or break through with an impact load. The result is
loss of power and expensive repairs in the short-term.
• Avoid dirt and sand falling in to the cylinder after the
Fig. 1: Chamfer on the cylinder bore too large – the piston pistons have been inserted. Where necessary, place or
rebounds between the piston ring scuff band and cylinder insert clean cloths on/in the bores to prevent avoidable dirt
during mounting and the piston becomes blocked contamination. Particularly when working in dusty
environments and/or in open air.
Fig. 2: Small chamfer on the cylinder bore – the piston ring

slides over the gap
2.5 ENGINE INITIAL START-UP AND RUNNING-IN

2.5.1 GENERAL
When we talk about engine running-in, we usually think about Customers and mechanics often have different opinions
all the moving components that have to adapt to each other. regarding the approach to the initial start-up and running-in of
This is correct in general, but is particularly true of piston rings. reconditioned engines. Many believe that a running-in period of
Piston rings are the components that are subjected to the between 500 and 1,500 km is still necessary, while others
highest level of stress due to their tasks and not only have to believe that no running-in period is required at all. The latter
adapt to the surface of the associated part, but must also seal opinion is based largely on the information from a number of
perfectly. The piston rings are therefore the components that engine manufacturers, who do not plan for a specific engine
benefit most from a correct and good running-in process. All running-in period. Both opinions are correct and justified in
components supplied with pressure oil do not have to contend their own right. We merely have to differentiate between new
with the same high levels of stress during running-in as the and reconditioned engines.
piston rings.
2.5.2 RUNNING-IN NEW ENGINES
Today, new engines are produced using state-of-the-art After all, the end consumer expects an engine performance
production methods. The interacting sliding parts are that is significantly higher than what was classed as optimum
manufactured so precisely that the adaptation that previously 25 years ago. Last but not least, a new vehicle from the factory
took place during the running-in time of the engine has already has completed a veritable cold start marathon by the time it
taken place on the components in special manufacturing has passed through the various logistics centres and transports
processes. This takes place in special manufacturing processes and arrived at the customer. An engine often has to withstand
(e.g. for running surfaces of the cylinder liners), as well as 150 cold starts without ever reaching operating temperature in
through precision machining of the remaining interacting between. Also consider ship transport to other countries and
sliding parts. This mainly involves lapping processes to free the continents. An engine that still had to be run in would
surfaces from the ultra-fine burrs and surface unevennesses obviously have a bad start in life under these conditions.
created during the machining processes. Previously, the
adaptation process was carried out by the interacting sliding Another reason for the more relaxed running in instructions for
parts, which had to adapt to each other during the running-in new vehicles from the factory is the fact that, due to the current
time. This involved a significant loss of material. Pistons rings levels of traffic on the roads, vehicles are hardly ever run to
lost a significant portion of their wear reserves as early as the their maximum performance limits. Even on motorways with no
first hours of operation, for example. Particularly in today’s speed restrictions, it is rarely possible to reach the vehicle top
climate, where every milligram of emissions is fought over, speed or rated output of the engine for any length of time.
engines are required to comply with their defined fuel A driver who used to travel briskly with a 30 kW vehicle and
consumption figures and the emissions limits from the very with a low achievable top speed was able to run the vehicle at
start. full load for extended periods even on normal roads.
An engine running-in phase, where the sliding surfaces have to

adapt to each other first through friction and above-average
wear, is therefore hardly conceivable at all in modern engine
manufacture.
Running-in and wear tests on the engine test rig

2.5.3 RUNNING-IN RECONDITIONED OR REPAIRED ENGINES
In contrast to new engines from the factory, running-in is

required for reconditioned engines where new cylinder liners
have been used or where the cylinder bores have been bored
and honed to the next oversize. In practice, the engine
reconditioner (depending on the available machine fleet and
equipment) can not always work as precisely and dirt-free as
during the initial production at the manufacturer.
Reconditioning does not restore used engines to their new

state. New and used parts are often combined and engines are
frequently not consistently and completely overhauled for
financial reasons. Running-in is most needed if cylinder bores,
cylinder heads or crankshafts are reworked. In practice, it is
often not possible to achieve the same machining parameters
as in the first production, as the values are often unknown or
the machines available only permit standard machining. For
these reasons, it is advisable to comply with the running-in
instructions outlined below for reconditioned engines.
2.5.4 RUNNING-IN RECOMMENDATIONS FOR RECONDITIONED ENGINES
• Always run the engine in on the road or on an engine test rig

• The vehicle should not be fully laden ATTENTION
• Run the engine at constantly changing speed levels not During this oil change, the oil filter must also be replaced.
exceeding 2/3 of the maximum speed
• While driving, move up the gears quickly, avoid
underrevving, avoid maximum gear speeds ATTENTION
• Avoid lengthy uphill driving Hour-long engine operation at idling speed is extremely harmful
(excessive load) for the engine.
• Avoid lengthy downhill driving
(insufficient load and undesirable overrun condition)
• Do not use engine braking systems An engine does not run in at idling speed. In fact, the opposite
• Drive on motorways or at top speed – avoid driving in is true - it can even be damaged. In idle mode, the bearings and
congested traffic the pistons receive a poor supply of oil. The lubrication is called
• Driving on open roads and in free-flowing urban traffic is best into question, as the oil pump transports little oil at idle speed.
– however, avoid driving in towns at extremely high The oil flow through the bearings is minimized at an
temperatures and in the rush hour with frequent stops at inopportune moment. Right when the adaptation processes of
traffic lights and hold-ups the components generate increased heat build-up through
frictional heat, there is insufficient oil for lubrication and
cooling.
ATTENTION
Running in instructions are available for vehicles new from the Oil supply channels and lines may not be vented and flushed
factory. The same also applies for reconditioned engines. The correctly due to the lack of oil flow. Metal abrasion, residual dirt
engine must be run in on the road if no test rig is available for from the reconditioning or previous damage that is still in the
implementing a defined running-in program. oil supply system is not flushed quickly enough out of the
engine bearings and washed off the cylinder wall. It remains at
the inlet point and already causes renewed wear there.
CONSTANT OIL LEVEL MONITORING DURING THE And let’s not forget the fuel system. Particularly on diesel
RUNNING-IN PHASE engines with new or reconditioned injectors, it is important that
they are flushed through correctly. The fuel quantities injected
The oil consumption may be higher during the running-in during idling are extremely small, however. A slightly stiff
phase. It is advisable to check the oil level every 50 to 100 km injector nozzle needle may also not open or may not atomise
and to top up the oil if necessary. In the event of a noticeable the fuel correctly.
drop in the oil level on the oil dipstick, continue to check at
shorter intervals. Do not overfill.
OIL CHANGE AFTER 1,000 KM
Although it has long been the case that no oil change is

required after the first 500 to 1,000 km for modern engines in
new vehicles from the factory, it is still advisable for
reconditioned engines. Dirt from the previous engine damage
or reworking of various parts is often still present in the oil
circuit of the engine. Added to this is the abraded metal
resulting from the run-in processes on the renewed engine
parts. These wear-promoting impurities must be removed with
an oil change after the run-in process.
2.6 SEALING PROBLEMS AND PISTON RING DAMAGE

2.6.1 SKEWING OF PISTONS
Engine damage frequently also causes bending/twisting of the

connecting rods. If the big and small connecting rod eyes are
not checked for parallelism during reconditioning or if the
connecting rod is not aligned straight, skewing occurs on the
piston in the cylinder during subsequent engine operation. The
piston rings will not run in a true circle in the cylinder, but will
trace an elliptical pattern. This causes severe sealing problems.
The piston rings will make contact at the bottom on one side
and at the top on the other side of the cylinder. If the ring is still
able to turn in the ring groove, it will be crowned in just a short
time. This crowning significantly exceeds any level of crowning
desired as a result of the design, so that the lubricating film
becomes much thicker and makes good oil scraping
performance impossible. As the piston is skewed, a pumping
force will also be applied to the piston rings resulting in the
increased ingress of oil into the combustion chamber.
Frequently, the skewing also means that the piston rings are
unable to turn and deflect into an elliptical form. This causes
uneven radial wear, which often results in the piston rings
breaking.
2.6.2 OVAL BORE
In cylinders with oval bores , the lower piston ring tension

means that the rings do not adapt or adapt extremely slowly to
the cylinder wall and can therefore not fulfil their specified
sealing function.
2.6.3 RING JAMMING AND ROTATION OBSTRUCTIONS
Sealing problems often occur when the rings on four-stroke

engines can not move freely in the ring grooves. This inevitably
causes damage on the pistons and cylinders (overheating and
piston seizures). Keystone rings (see chapter 1.3.1
Compression rings) are less prone to ring sticking or blockages
in the ring grooves due to their shape.
Reasons for ring blockages and ways to prevent them

• The rings must not clamp axially in the groove. The
evenness of the piston rings must be guaranteed. Take care
not to bend the piston rings by pulling them onto the piston
incorrectly (see chapter 2.4.1 Mounting and disassembling
piston rings).
• The dimensions of the ring groove must match the piston Fig. 1: Dirt deposit in the ring groove
ring.
• The ring grooves must be free from dirt and other deposits
(Fig. 1).
• The engine oil must meet the specifications stipulated by
the engine manufacturer. Incorrect oil promotes the
formation of carbon deposits and ring sticking in the
grooves.
• Operation of the engine with vegetable oil and alternative
fuels.
• Bent connecting rods and consequent skewing of the
pistons in the cylinder bore.
2.6.4 DIRT
Intake of dirt in the engine is one of the most frequent reasons

for early wear on the engine and, consequently, also on the
piston rings. There are two principal causes of dirt damage:
Cause 1
The dirt is transported into the cylinder with the intake air. This
always happens when the air filter maintenance is not carried
out correctly. If the vehicle is driven without an air filter or if
there is a leak in the intake system and the dirt enters the
combustion chamber past the air filter. The dirt in the combustion
chamber also enters the piston ring grooves, where it combines
with the oil to form an abrasive paste (Fig. 2). The height of the
piston rings is ground down in this case and the piston ring
grooves are expanded (Fig. 3). The wear caused by the dirt on Fig. 2: Dirt and oil deposits in the ring groove
the piston rings mainly acts on the ring sides in axial direction. combine to form an abrasive paste.
In radial direction (on the sliding surface), the ring also wears
due to the resulting mixed friction, but nowhere near as much
as on the sides. Roller marks on the ring sides are a frequent
indication of dirt in the ring grooves. The dirt, which consists
mainly of fine sand, in conjunction with the rotation of the rings
and the piston rocking motion, scratches characteristic
patterns into the ring side.
Because the rings are mainly in contact with the bottom

groove side during operation, the wear mainly occurs on the
top ring side. This is also where the roller marks are found
(Fig. 4 and 5).
Fig. 3: Piston ring groove expansion through

ground down piston ring
Fig. 4 and 5: Examples of roller marks on the top ring side

Cause 2
The dirt is still in the oil circuit as a result of previous damage ATTENTION
and/or a poorly carried out repair/reconditioning. The dirt then If an oil cooler is contaminated as a result of engine damage,
starts to wear on the cylinder walls and pistons from the cleaning often brings minimal success. In this case, it is better
crankcase. Dirt particles also reach all bearing positions in the to use a new oil cooler to rule out the risk of damage resulting
engine via contaminated oil circuits. Although the oil is filtered from using the old oil cooler.
via the oil filter, the oil circuit is frequently not cleaned
correctly. Dirt that is already on the clean side of the oil circuit
reaches the bearing positions and results in premature wear or
damage.
In the event of engine damage, the oil filter is often so heavily

blocked through abrasion that the bypass valve opens. In this
case, the engine oil reaches the lubricating points unfiltered.
These facts are accepted in the engine design to prevent major
engine damage due to complete oil loss on the bearings.
Following engine damage, there are often still large amounts of
dirt in the oil cooler and in its oil lines. It is therefore irresponsible
to connect a new or reconditioned engine to an uncleaned oil
cooler and run the engine.
2.6.5 FUEL FLOODING
After damage due to dirt, damage and wear caused by fuel

flooding is the second most common cause of damage on
piston rings. In the event of fuel flooding, the oil film on the
cylinder wall suffers so significantly that the piston rings rub
metal on metal against the cylinder wall and quickly lose radial
wall thickness. Metal contact between the piston rings and the
cylinder wall (Fig. 1) may only occur briefly and in exceptional
cases (e.g. during a cold start) and is not permitted in normal
engine operation. The service life of pistons, piston rings and
cylinder bores suffers significantly and is drastically shortened.
In normal state, the interacting sliding parts are always
separated from metal contact by an oil film (Fig. 2). Here, the oil
film must therefore be thicker than the unevenesses on the
surfaces of the interacting sliding parts.
During engine operation, combustion faults often result in an

accumulation and condensation of fuel on the cylinder wall.
In this case, the oil film is thinned or washed off. The resulting
mixed friction causes the piston rings to wear completely within
a few thousand kilometres. The performance drops and oil
consumption rises.
Fig. 1: Mixed friction – metal contact occurs between the piston ring
and cylinder wall
Mixed friction leads to significant radial wear on the piston

rings and the cylinder surface. This is clearly visible on the two
scraping lands of the oil control ring. Fig. 3 shows a new oil
control ring and an oil control ring worn through mixed friction.
The two scraping lands are completely worn down. The engine
the ring comes from suffered from excessive oil consumption.
Radial wear such as this, that not only occurs on the oil control
rings, can almost always be traced back to fuel flooding.
Particularly if the extent of the wear is not equal on all pistons,

mixed friction wear due to fuel flooding is the only possible
explanation. This situation is actually extremely common and is
proof that the rings are not worn due to suspected poor
material quality or faulty cylinder machining. If this were the
case, the wear would occur evenly on all pistons and piston
rings and not just on specific cylinders.
Fig. 2: Oil film with sufficient thickness – no metal contact
Fig. 3: New and worn oil control ring

Mixed friction wear caused by fuel flooding occurs on petrol
and diesel engines equally. ATTENTION
With this type of damage too, we must differentiate between
With petrol engines, frequent short-distance drives (particularly whether the wear is only present on specific cylinders or on all
with carburettor engines) and misfiring are the main causes. cylinders. If damage is present on all cylinders, it is most likely
Petrol engines require a much higher fuel quantity to start up a global cause, such as poor fuel quality or poor filling. If only
and in the warm-up phase than at operating temperature. In the individual cylinders are affected, faulty injection nozzles, spark
case of frequent short-distance drives, the condensed and plugs or high-voltage cables are the likely potential causes.
stuck on fuel on the cylinder wall may not be able to vaporise
and binds with the engine oil. This leads to oil dilution and
mixed friction due to the loss of viscosity in the engine oil. With
petrol engines, incorrect spark plugs or ignition coils can also
cause fuel flooding, as the fuel does not ignite and is therefore
not burnt.
In diesel engines the injected fuel ignites when exposed to

highly compressed air in the combustion chamber. Lack of
compression (poor filling) or poor fuel quality result in ignition
delays, incomplete combustion and liquid fuel collecting in the
combustion chamber.
Further reasons for fuel flooding on diesel engines include

• Faulty and leaking injection nozzles
• Fault in the fuel injection pump or settings incorrect
• Incorrectly routed and poorly secured injection lines
(vibrations)
• Mechanical faults (piston impact on the cylinder head) due
to an incorrect piston protrusion dimension caused by
reworking on sealing surfaces and the use of cylinder head
seals with incorrect thicknesses
• Poor filling due to blocked air filters
• Poor filling due to faulty or worn turbocharger
• Poor filling due to worn or fractured piston rings
• Poor fuel quality (poor selfignition and incomplete
combustion)
2.6.6 PISTON RING FRACTURES
Piston ring fractures are caused either by excessive wear, ring The significantly increased ring height clearance usually results
flutter or faults during ring mounting. in ring flutter, and the ring can no longer withstand the stress
acting on it. The ring usually breaks into many small pieces.
Fractures during operation of the piston rings do not occur
without extreme operating conditions. When pulling the rings But rings don’t necessarily have to have a reduced material
on to the piston, the mechanical stress is much higher than thickness to break. If combustion faults occur during operation,
during operation. When pulling on the piston rings, the piston rings may break due to the high stress without them being
rings must withstand significantly more bending stress than worn. Unintentional water or oil ingress in the combustion
during installation in the cylinder. A ring with joint or material chamber can also lead to ring fractures. Liquids can not be
faults would break when pulling it on. compressed. If the quantity of liquid exceeds the volume of the
compression space, the liquid must either push past the piston
If broken piston rings are found in the engine immediately after or break the piston or piston rings. The connecting rod may also
a piston repair, they were usually damaged or broken bend or the cylinder wall/cylinder liner break.
beforehand by incorrect piston installation or faulty fitting
tools.
Rings can break during operation after a long service life.
This happens if the radial or axial wall thickness has already
been reduced significantly due to wear.
Broken piston ring

2.6.7 RING FLUTTER
Ring flutter can occur in particular on petrol engines under AXIAL RING FLUTTER
medium load and at high speeds. Fluttering refers to both the
lifting of the piston ring off the bottom flank contact area and Axial ring flutter is usually initiated in the ring from the joint
the loss of sealing effect on the ring due to the loss of radial ends. Due to their exposed position, the joint ends are
contact on the cylinder wall (collapsing). Both result in loss of particularly susceptible to lifting off the bottom contact surface
power and high oil consumption, as the sealing function is under unfavourable conditions. The joint ends set into vibration
impaired or eliminated completely. then transfer the vibration in waves over the entire piston ring.
ATTENTION
Due to the lower inertial force, low ring heights have less
tendency to flutter. Higher contact pressure on the joint ends
counteracts the tendency towards fluttering.
Reasons for axial ring flutter

• Excessive ring height clearance
• Loss of ring tension (wear), resulting in poor pressure
behaviour on the joint ends, particularly with piston rings
with pear-shaped radial pressure distribution (see also
chapter 1.6.2 Radial pressure distribution)
• Mechanical contact of the piston with the cylinder head due
to reconditioning errors, particularly on diesel engines
(Fig. 1)
• Knocking combustion due to errors in the engine
management (mixture formation, ignition) and due to
inadequate fuel quality (octane rating too low, diesel
admixtures)
• Worn piston ring grooves
• Groove base gas volume too low due to carbon deposits in
the groove base (cause: combustion temperatures too high)
and /or inadequate engine oil grades
Fig. 1: Ring flutter due to mechanical contact of the piston and

cylinder head
RADIAL RING FLUTTER
An excessive increase in the gas pressure on the piston ring

sliding surface during combustion (Fig. 2) disturbs the balance
of forces briefly, the piston ring is lifted off the sliding surface
and can no longer seal correctly. The constant repetition of the
process leads to fluttering on the piston ring.
Reasons for radial ring flutter

• Worn piston rings (reduction in the radial wall thickness)
and an associated loss of pressure force between the piston
ring and cylinder wall, as well as reduced ring stiffness
• Out-of-true cylinder bores and an associated increased
ingress of combustion pressure in the sealing gap between
the piston ring sliding surface and ring gap
• Asymmetric piston wear pattern due to bent connecting
rods: The ring follows a slightly oval shape due to the Fig. 2: Gas pressure on the piston ring sliding surface
out-of-plumb positioning inside the cylinder bore. This
means that a higher level of combustion gas enters the top
land area and between the piston ring and cylinder wall on
the cylinder side with less piston contact
• Excessive, crowned wear on the sliding surface of the piston
ring due to excessive ring height clearance
• Damaged ring edges caused by incorrect honing (peak
folding formation): The ring is torn open and frayed on the
ring edges (mainly on simple cast rings without a surface
coating), gas enters the sealing gap and lifts the piston ring
off the sliding surface.
Fig. 3: Lifting of the piston ring from the sliding surface

2.7 LUBRICATION AND OIL CONSUMPTION
2.7.1 GENERAL
The piston on four-stroke engines is always lubricated with The direct oil cooling means that enough oil runs back inside
splash and centrifugal oil from the crankshaft. However, the the piston, which lubricates the cylinder wall as it travels.
crank webs of the crankshaft are usually not immersed in the
crankcase sump. This would cause the oil to foam and result in Depending on the engine speed, oil pressure and design
loss of power. The oil required for lubricating the cylinder wall features, the oil quantities in drop form on the cylinder wall
is released from the bearing positions on main and connecting must be scraped off and distributed by the oil control rings.
rod bearings as intended. Because the crankshaft rotates, this To achieve an optimal lubricating effect with minimal oil
oil is distributed in drop form over the entire crankcase and is consumption, the lubricating film on the cylinder wall must be
thus also sprayed on the cylinder wall if the piston is in the no more than 1–3 µm thick. A thinner lubricating film causes
upper cylinder area. mixed friction and high component wear. A thicker lubricating
film usually results in higher oil consumption. The causes
On engines subjected to a high level of stress or on engines leading to an oil film that is either too thin or too thick are
where only small amounts of oil are released from the bearings, outlined in chapter 1.5.5 Crowned sliding surface shapes,
the lubrication of the cylinder wall is guaranteed by using among others.
hollow bored connecting rods, which also spray the cylinder
wall on the piston pressure side (Fig. 1). For engines equipped
with piston spray cooling for better heat dissipation from the
pistons, these measures are not required.
Fig. 1: Oil spray holes in the

connecting rod ensure that the
sliding surface is lubricated
2.7.2 ENGINE OIL
Engine oil is the most important component in the engine. If the • Integration of solid external substances, dust, abrasion and
components were not lubricated with oil and cooled, it would combustion products such as soot or ash
not be possible to run a combustion engine as we know and • Corrosion protection of the engine parts against aggressive
use them today. The oil separates the interacting sliding parts combustion products through formation of protective layers
with a thin oil film and, through lubrication, prevents the metal on the metal surface
friction and wear between the interacting sliding parts. The • Neutralisation of acidic combustion products through
engine oil also has the task of transporting heat and dirt within chemical conversion
the engine. • Transfer of forces in hydraulic chain tensioners and valve
tappets
Important tasks of engine oil • Keeping the engine parts clean by removing carbon deposits
• Lubrication (separation of the metal surfaces moving and ageing products of the engine oil with oil-soluble soaps
against each other) • Protection from wear (the engine components moving
• Cooling (heat dissipation) against each other)
• Removal of dirt • Making undesired combustion products harmless
• Stability against shearing effects (e.g. caused by sharp
piston ring edges)
• Sealing of the combustion chamber to the crankcase and
the intake and exhaust gas ports via the valve guides to the
valve train
Engine oil consists of a base oil and additives. The combustion process causes acids and other harmful
To improve the characteristics of the base oil, substances to form, which decompose the oil gradually.
additives are added to the oil. The content of A high influence of heat also causes some of the low-boiling oil
additives and their composition is derived from the components to vaporise, which also results in a change in the
requirements placed on the oil. composition. The use of ultrafine filters, which promise
life-long oil usage without the need for an oil change, is
The additives cause or have an influence over therefore questionable.
• Viscosity and flow properties
• Surface-active performance Oil still has to be topped up periodically and expensive additives
• Neutralisation capacity also have to be added, because a natural oil consumption
• Neutral behaviour towards sealing materials occurs with every engine and, sooner or later, there would
• Low foaming tendency otherwise be no oil left in the engine. So installing additional
• Long service life, long oil change intervals systems such as these would hardly be economically
• Low oil consumption advantageous for the owner of the vehicle.
• Low fuel consumption
• Fuel compatibility Summary
• Environmental safety Both the base oil and the additives are used up over time, so
that the oil has to be changed at regular intervals (oil change).
Engine oil is depleted through ageing and contamination. During the oil change and the filter replacement, the harmful
The additives in the oil are used up and aggressive combustion combustion products are removed from the engine and made
products and dirt contaminate the oil. The ageing of the oil is harmless. The fresh oil lubricates and cleans more effectively
partly caused by high temperatures. and offers new reserves against all damaging influences the oil
is subjected to.
Engine oil consists of long-chain hydrocarbon molecules.
The viscosity of the oil is determined by the length of the
molecular chains. Long molecules have a higher viscosity.
The long molecular chains are chopped into shorter pieces
during engine operation due to shearing influences. This has
a negative impact on the viscosity and the lubricating
characteristics. In extreme situations, the oil is then less
resistant and no longer able to guarantee the desired
lubrication characteristics.
Carrying out a fine filtration of the engine oil via special

filtration measures outside the engine to remove as many dirt
particles as possible is futile. The oil itself becomes a problem
and not the dirt transported along with it.
Note: In some countries, the oil is filtered through cloths and
then resold.
2.7.3 GENERAL OIL CONSUMPTION
Experts refer to oil consumption as the quantity of oil that

enters and is burned up in the combustion chamber. But not oil
that runs through seals and drips on the outside of the engine.
In this case, we talk about oil loss and not oil consumption.
The main causes of oil consumption are

• Faults on the turbocharger (faulty bearings, blocked oil
return lines)
• Faults on mechanical fuel injection pumps (worn pump
elements)
• Worn valve stem seals and valve guides
• Faults on the sealing system piston-piston ring-cylinder
bore (see next chapter)
NOTE
Further information can be found in the brochure
"Oil consumption and oil loss".
2.7.4 OIL CONSUMPTION THROUGH PISTON-PISTON RING-CYLINDER BORE
NORMAL OR DESIGN-RELATED OIL CONSUMPTION small quantities of oil, which then become noticeable as oil
consumption over a prolonged period. The change in
Oil that passes by the piston-piston ring-cylinder bore from the movement of the piston in the upper top dead centre and the
crankcase into the combustion chamber is burnt and results in resulting inertial forces drive the oil off the piston rings. This
oil consumption. Due to the design of the combustion engine quantity of oil is burnt during the combustion in the next
and the sealing system piston-piston ring-cylinder bore, combustion cycle.
a certain amount of “normal” oil consumption occurs naturally
during engine operation.
INCREASED AND EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION
The engine oil is present on the cylinder wall in the form of
a thin oil film (approx. 1–3 µm thick) and is subjected to the hot Excessive oil consumption caused solely by the sealing system
combustion during the downstroke of the piston in the piston-piston ring-cylinder bore can always be traced back to
combustion cycle. The hot combustion gases cause vapori reasons for which the piston rings are not primarily responsible.
sation during each combustion cycle and the combustion of Although the piston rings are involved, they are not the cause.
Reasons for increased oil consumption caused by poor sealing effect of the piston rings, include
• Worn rings (reduction in the radial and axial wall • Ring flutter (see chapter 2.6.7 Ring flutter)
thicknesses) • Scratched sealing areas (bottom groove sides) due to
• Incorrect honing incorrect cleaning of the ring grooves
• Abrasive wear due to soiling (chapter 2.6.4 Dirt) • Rings sticking in the ring grooves due to dirt, carbon or bent
• Oval cylinders and/or out-of-true cylinders (see also chapter rings (incorrect handling)
2.3.5 Cylinder geometry and roundness) • Lack of groove base clearance due to incorrect rings or
• Worn pistons (ring grooves) due to dirt and long service life carbon deposits (incorrect oil specification)
• Worn cylinders (out-of-true, polished, distorted) • Incorrect ring assembly, incorrect ring heights, incorrect
• Skewed pistons due to bent connecting rods radial wall thickness, incorrect shape (rectangular ring in
(see chapter 2.6.1 Skewing of pistons) keystone groove and vice-versa)
• Wrong oil specification • Incorrect installation of oil control rings (incorrect
• Used and outdated oil installation of the expander springs)
• Mixed friction due to fuel flooding
(see chapter 2.6.5 Fuel flooding)
2.7.5 DEFINING OIL CONSUMPTION (COMPARISON AMOUNTS)
There are various ways of expressing levels of oil consumption.

During engine test operation on a test rig, oil consumption is
expressed as "grammes per kilowatt-hour". A good sealing
system will achieve oil consumptions of 0.5 to 1 g/kWh. This
method is not suitable for use in practice as oil consumption
cannot be precisely defined in grammes, nor can performance
be measured with the vehicle in operation.
For this reason, oil consumption is often measured in

litres/1,000 km or as a percentage of fuel consumption. The
latter is most commonly used to express measurements as it is
more precise than litres per 1,000 km. The reason for this is
that engines are also used when the vehicle is stationary, and
will sometimes experience lengthy idling times (congestion,
waiting at traffic lights, charging, running the air conditioning).
Moreover, in some instances the engine may need to be used
to operate auxiliary units, such as loading cranes or in pump
operation, without the vehicle driving a single kilometre.
2.7.6 WHEN IS AN ENGINE CONSUMING TOO MUCH OIL?
In practice, opinions about the point at which oil consumption Diesel engines always use more engine oil than petrol engines.
is excessive differ widely in different countries. A widely spread Engines with a turbocharger also need more oil than engines
assumption or expectation is that an engine does not use or without a turbocharger due to lubrication of the turbocharger.
must not use any oil, but this is fundamentally wrong for the
reasons outlined above. It is clear, however, that the oil consumption is lowest after the
running-in phase and the consumption increases over the life
Every engine manufacturer has guide values or limit values for of the engine. The minimum values therefore apply more for
oil consumption for each of its engines. If increased oil new engines and the maximum values apply for engines that
consumption is suspected, then the guide value or limit value have already exceeded 2/3 of their service life.
for oil consumption specified by the relevant engine Even on engines where only partial repairs have been carried
manufacturer must be obtained. Repair shop manuals and out (e.g. replacement of the pistons or only the piston rings), it
operating instructions often also provide information on the oil can not simply be assumed that the maximum value will not be
consumption of an engine. exceeded. The opposite is often the case. All parts of an engine
wear equally. If only 10 % of an engine is replaced, the
If no exact oil consumption values are available from the engine maximum improvement it is possible to achieve in the best
manufacturer, an oil consumption of 0.25 % to 0.5 % based on case scenario is just 10 %.
the actual fuel consumption can be assumed. On small
passenger car engines, this may be slightly less. In this case,
the oil consumption is between 0.1 % and 0.5 % of the fuel
consumption.
EXAMPLE CALCULATION FOR UTILITY VEHICLES EXAMPLE CALCULATION FOR PASSENGER CARS
A utility vehicle consumes roughly 40 litres of fuel for A passenger car consumes roughly 8 litres of fuel for
100 km travelled. 100 km travelled.
This can be extrapolated to 400 litres of fuel for This amounts to 80 litres of fuel for 1000 km.
1000 km. • 0.1 % of 80 litres of fuel equals 0.08 litre of oil
• 0.25 % of 400 litres of fuel equals 1 litre of oil consumption.
consumption. • 0.5 % of 80 litres of fuel equals 0.4 litre of oil
• 0.5 % of 400 litres of fuel equals 2 litre of oil consumption.
consumption.
2.7.7 DEFINITION OF AND DEALING WITH OIL CONSUMPTION
FOR OIL CONSUMPTION, WE MUST DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN DIFFERENT INFORMATION
NORMAL OIL CONSUMPTION INCREASED OIL CONSUMPTION
The oil consumption is within the limits specified by the On utility vehicles, the oil consumption is between double and
manufacturer or within the values listed in the previous triple the normal oil consumption. On passenger cars, it is
chapter. There is no fault or reason for complaint. 0.5 to 1 litres/1,000 km. The engine is running normally and is
not necessarily showing signs of blue smoke from the exhaust
system.
Occurrence
Vehicles that have already exceeded 2/3 of the normal service
life. Also new, repaired and reconditioned engines that are still
in the running-in phase. Engines that are operated in
unfavourable conditions (hot ambient temperatures, frequent
short-distance drives, idle mode, trailer operation, etc.).
Remedies
Not necessary or may not be necessary, but observation and
regular oil level checks/top ups are required to ensure that the
oil level does not sink below the minimum during operation.
Where necessary, look in to what is causing the increased oil
consumption. In addition to the engine itself, accessories such
as turbochargers, mechanical fuel injection pumps and vacuum
pumps are potential candidates, or an even distribution across
all accessories. It may be possible to remedy the oil
consumption through targeted repairs. If there is damage on
one of the accessories, which is contributing significantly to the
oil consumption, the oil consumption may also have increased
erratically.
Jumps in the oil consumption of this kind are not expected as

a result of normal wear on the components, however. Faults in
the mixture formation/fuel injection, which make themselves
felt in the black smoke from the exhaust system, also
contribute significantly to the piston and cylinder wear, and
thus also increased oil consumption, and should be remedied.
EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION
On passenger cars, the oil consumption is more than 1.5 litres,

on heavy utility vehicles, it is more than 5 litres. The oil
consumption can be seen on the oil dipstick, as well as visually
in the form of blue smoke (particularly after an overrun
condition). The quantity of topped up oil results in significant
additional costs, which make a thorough inspection, repair and
reconditioning of the unit necessary.
Occurrence
With completely worn engines and engines that have been
reconditioned incorrectly or inadequately. With engine damage
such as piston seizures, piston fractures, turbocharger damage
or following a failure of other oil-lubricated accessories.
2.7.8 HOW TO CHECK OIL LEVEL AND OIL CONSUMPTION CORRECTLY
CHECKING THE OIL LEVEL MEASURING VEHICLE OIL CONSUMPTION
Reading errors often occur when checking the oil level, which • Check the oil level using the proper method and top up to
lead to a misinterpretation of the actual oil consumption. The the maximum mark.
vehicle must be on even ground and the oil must be given five • Drive the vehicle for 1,000 km keeping a record of the fuel
minutes after the engine is switched off to allow it to flow back consumption.
into the oil pan and to drip off correctly. After withdrawing the • Check the oil level again after 1,000 km and top up to the
dipstick, hold it vertical with the end pointing downwards so maximum mark. The quantity added will be the oil
that the oil does not track back up the dipstick resulting in an consumption at 1,000 km.
incorrect reading. • An alternative and more precise method is to view the
topped up oil quantity in relation to the whole picture and
If there really is insufficient oil, top up the oil slowly and in compare it to the values stated above.
small quantities (in increments of 0.1 litres). If oil is topped up • Draining off and measuring the oil before and after the
too quickly or if too much oil is added, the oil level will then be measuring run has not proven successful in practice.
too high. If the crankshaft is dipped into the crankcase sump The measurement distortions due to the oil losses through
because the oil level is too high, the oil is stirred up, catapulted collecting vessels and similar prevent a precise
around and released in drop form in increased quantities for measurement.
engine ventilation. Because the engine ventilation is connected
in the intake air system, the oil is directed into the combustion
chamber, where it is burnt. TOP UP AMOUNTS
When filling an engine after the oil change, the specified filling Particular care must be taken with the oil filling quantities
quantity is not topped up, but rather filling only takes place up listed in the handbook or operating instructions. Often, no
to the maximum mark. Then run the engine until the oil differentiation is made between the first filling quantity (for dry,
pressure has built up. After switching off the engine, wait a oil-free engines) and the change quantity (with/without oil filter
couple of minutes for the oil to flow back into the oil pan. replacement).
Having done this, check the oil level again and top up the oil
level to the maximum mark. The fact is that, when the oil is changed, a certain amount of oil
is left in the engine (adhering to pipes, channels, oil coolers, oil
pumps, units and surfaces). If the oil quantity for initial filling is
added when changing the oil, the oil level will be much too
high. The reverse is also possible. The oil change quantity is
specified too low. If the engine is started, there will be insufficient
oil afterwards. If the oil is not topped up correctly and is no
longer monitored, this is frequently misinterpreted as oil
consumption. It is also important to ensure that the viscosity of
the oil is correct. Oil with a low viscosity (thin) is used up more
quickly than oil with a high viscosity. Only use the specified oil
approved by the engine manufacturer.
2.7.9 OIL CONSUMPTION COMPLAINTS AND REMEDY
In the interest of fairness, complaints due to excessively high The success of repairs for remedying increased oil consumption
oil consumption should only be made if the vehicle has been depends largely on the time and material requirements.
maintained in accordance with the specifications and the The vehicle owner or repair company determines themselves
inspection intervals have been complied with at all times. how good the repair result will be. But one thing is certain:
The correct spare parts and the specified engine oil must also Installing new piston rings alone will enable a worn engine to run
have been used. Increased oil consumption does not occur for a while longer. But the oil consumption will not be improved.
suddenly. An engine continues to run without difficulty with
a higher oil consumption. Maintenance transgressions and the
resulting increased wear often only occur on older vehicles.
The money saved on engine maintenance will ultimately still
have to be paid out in increased oil consumption and
premature repairs.
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KNOWLEDGEPOOL

PISTON RINGS FOR

OUR HEART BEATS FOR YOUR ENGINE.

Rheinmetall Automotive is the mobility division of the technology corporation

Edited by: Liability

1.2 The main tasks of piston rings 6

1.3 Types of piston rings 8

1.4 Piston ring designations 18

1.5 Structure and shape of piston rings 19

1.6 Function and properties 26

2 INSTALLATION AND SERVICE 39

2.2 Assessment of used pistons 40

2.3 Assessment of used cylinder bores 42

2.4 Piston and piston ring assembly 48

2.5 Commissioning and running in the engine 55

2.6 Sealing problems and damage on piston rings 59

2.7 Lubrication and oil consumption 68

The foundation for a successful repair and reconditioning is

1 BASIC PRINCIPLES PISTON RINGS

1.1 REQUIREMENTS ON PISTON RINGS

The key task of compression rings is to prevent combustion

Piston ring sealing systems in combustion engines are not

Excessive transfer of hot combustion gases past the pistons

1.2.2 SCRAPING OFF AND SPREADING OIL

In addition to the sealing between the crankcase and

Scrape off and spread oil

1.2.3 HEAT DISSIPATION

Temperature management for the piston is another vital task

Without this continuous heat dissipation of the piston rings,

The term rectangular ring refers to rings with a rectangular cross

TAPER FACED RINGS – COMPRESSION RINGS WITH AN OIL SCRAPING FUNCTION

In addition to the function as a compression ring, taper faced

Gas pressure on the taper faced ring

In the past, the napier ring was used as a second compression

Taper faced napier ring

Taper faced napier ring with closed joint

Double-sided keystone ring One-sided keystone ring

Oil control rings are designed to distribute oil on the cylinder

ONE-PART OIL CONTROL RINGS

One-part oil control rings are no longer used in modern engine

Oil control ring

Slotted oil control ring

Double-bevelled oil control ring

Top-bevelled oil control ring

The actual tension comes from a coiled compression spring

Slotted oil control ring with spiral expander

Spiral expander top-bevelled oil control ring

Double-bevelled spiral expander ring

Double-bevelled spiral expander ring with chrome-plated sliding

Double-bevelled spiral expander ring made from nitrided steel

Three-part oil control ring

1.3.3 TYPICAL PISTON RING FITTING

1.3.4 THE MOST COMMON PISTON RING

Requirement Friction Running-in Durability

High ring tension

Low ring tension

Wear resistant material –

Low ring height

High ring height