Piston rings are often taken for granted. Many engine builders simply order whatever set of rings their supplier has on the shelf. The guys at Total Seal Piston Rings don’t take any detail for granted however. The family owned business has carved out a name within the industry as being a true horsepower gainer with their gapless ring sets.

Top engine builders have become accustomed to using the Total Seal Gapless second ring as the standard for their performance engine builds, and these sets work great for most applications.  We talked with Total Seal Piston Rings company owner Joey Moriarty at the 2010 PRI trade show in Orlando, Florida, and he explained that; “The gapless top ring is the evolution of the gapless second ring. In moving the gapless ring to the #1 ring groove, the cylinder is sealed closer to the combustion chamber.”

According to Moriarty, “Increased cylinder seal on the compression and power strokes also improves the ring seal on the intake stroke which results in better cylinder filling on naturally aspirated engines.”  To us that meant we could get more fuel into the combustion chamber. More fuel means more power. We kinda liked that idea.

So how does the gapless ring technology work? We asked Moriarty about that and he explained by saying; “Compression gas is deflected by the rail in the piston groove, which aids in pressure loading the ring.” If you are thinking that pressure loading the ring against the cylinder wall causes more wear on the wall, Moriarty explained that much of the normal cylinder bore with conventional rings happens when the ring gap increases.

The crew at Total Seal Piston Rings encourage enthusiasts to call their tech line for explanations or help in choosing the correct ring package for the application.  If you’ve ever thought you knew about piston rings, we dare you to call them.  We double dog dare you. Call 623-587-7400 for an education on piston rings, and tell them that we sent you.

For more information on the Total Seal Piston Rings products or technology, visit them at www.totalseal.com.