75 BBC Stingray

My 454 is to the point where I need to get the rotating assembly together for balance and to hone the block. I had wanted to use the gapless rings, but there are two types.
MaxSeal - Top Ring gapless, 2nd Ring conventional, STD tension oil
TS1 - Top Ring conventional, 2nd Ring gapless, STD tension oil

Total Seal has recommended the Max Seal as being the better choice. Anyone out there who is doing the rebuilts/BBC upgrades using these?

GDaina

No clue. I filed my ring gaps

The Money Pit

I have heard horror stories of the overlapping tangs breaking on the gapless rings and trashing the cylinder bore.When I did the 406 I hand filed the end gap to .020 as per my machinists recommendation. High horse engines get hot and the last thing you want is the ends of the rings to touch when they heat up and expand. The loss of torque due to blow by is so small it's hardly worth the expense of the gapless rings.Peace of mind is priceless.

nastee383

My motor was built with gapless rings. It has been shown in several magazines to add around 15hp and 15 ft lb on an engine such as mine. I've read you shouldn't use N2O with gapless rings but I have for 4 years now with no apparent adverse effects. Car actually has improved on et and mph each year.

JoeC427

No clue, I endgapped my rings and purchased the type JE recomended.

Tom454

The term "gapless" is defined differently depending on manufacturer. Some have the overlapping "tangs" (old design) at the ring gap, some do not... they have a "rail" resembling an oil ring rail which sits under the standard "gap" ring. The combination of a gap type ring plus the rail both installed in a single groove, with their gaps opposite each other, in effect, give you a "gapless" ring. These do not have a "tang" that can break off.

I have used the "gapless" rings (misnomer sort of) with the secondary rail for quite a while on many engines and have not had a problem with any of them. The "gap" ring in these applications still has to be filed/gapped in the standard manner if the gap is too close. The rail must be checked as well, but the rail gap is usually so large that it is not a consideration.

75 BBC Stingray

Thanks for the replies. I'm just trying to decide whether to go with their TS1 set (2nd ring gapless) or the MaxSeal (top ring gapless). My engine builder is a fan of the gapless, but has only experience w/ the TS1 set. He feels the MaxSeal set has not been out long enough to know how it acts. In spite of that and since Total Seal is heavily recommending the MaxSeal set, the little voice in my head is saying "Just because its new doesn't mean its not better..."

I know, I know... I should just listen to the engine builder and his experience and go w/ the safe route for my new engine... :smash: