Piston rings are metal components whose main task is to seal and separate the combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine from the crankcase. In addition, they collect excess oil from the cylinder walls. But what happens when the rings fail to perform their function? In this article you will find information on what replacing piston rings looks like.
Piston rings - what are they needed for?
The main task of piston rings is to seal the space between the combustion chamber and the crankcase. Thanks to the rings, excess oil from the cylinders is drained off and returns to the oil pan. The rings control oil consumption and make sure that there is neither too much nor too little of it in the system. Good condition of these components guarantees correct engine operation and a longer service life.
Piston rings - symptoms of failure
The most common symptoms of problems with piston rings are:
- vibration,
- loss of power,
- excessive oil consumption.
Ring failures affect not only internal combustion engines that are excessively used. Problems can also appear in cars that are not driven very intensively. Old and worn-out cars are at the greatest risk of failures involving the rings. In new units, faults of this type occur much less frequently.
Replacing piston rings
Replacing and fitting piston rings is a task that requires knowledge and experience. Unfortunately, the whole procedure also involves fairly high costs. What is worse, there are cases where replacing the piston rings means overhauling the entire engine and immobilising the vehicle for at least a week. The service usually covers not only the repair of the pistons themselves, but also grinding the connecting rod, milling the valve seats and honing the cylinders. So if you are not a specialist in car repair and do not feel up to carrying out such a repair, go to a professional mechanic. In this way you will avoid mistakes and fitting the rings onto the wrong pistons.
Fitting piston rings yourself - does it make sense?
Of course, replacing piston rings yourself is possible, but you need to know that you will not succeed without access to a range of specialised power tools. This is not a repair that can be carried out with a screwdriver alone. It is also worth mentioning that the necessary equipment is expensive and, for the average driver who is not involved in car mechanics, does not make much sense. You will also need piston ring pliers, which will let you remove and fit the rings onto the pistons.
Replacing piston rings - price
A lot depends on the car model, but it can be assumed that replacing piston rings ranges from 1 to 6 thousand zlotys. Such a large discrepancy is related to design differences and the price of components depending on the vehicle brand. As you could read earlier, sometimes the replacement alone is not enough and a major engine overhaul is needed, and this can mean costs of the order of a dozen or several dozen zlotys.
Replacing piston rings - how to avoid it?
In many cases, the need to replace piston rings can be avoided thanks to proper preventive maintenance. All you need to do is regularly use an engine flush. Thanks to it, you will get rid of accumulated deposits and reduce the risk of damaging the rings. The cost of an engine flush is much lower than a possible replacement, which is why it is worth using this type of product every now and then. Take care of this especially if you intensively use your car with an internal combustion engine.
