Anybody familiar with the total seal or child&alberts gapless piston rings? Are the worth the investment. And I have the desktop dyno, anybody know what the difference is between seat-to-seat and .050 lift on the cam spec part?

 

I suggest posting this in Motor Swap. I'm sure the guys in there have opinions on them. I read an article in CHP Mag about them and they did boost about 10hp. But then the next month, or a few later, they did an article about ring gaps, what to use and how to set them. They were talking about (I don't remeber the terms) the pressure diff between the 1st and 2nd rings. They showed how the gap in the top ring helps to pressurize the space between it and the 2nd ring. This helps the 2nd ring seat properly through the stroke. If this isn't done right, then both rings will wear faster and not seal properly. I would think the the zero gap top rings and 2nd rings should both be used at the same time. That way the pressure is equalized. I dunno. I can't remember all the details. If I find the article, I'll let ya know. I can't recommend them or knock them. I thing they are still kinda un-chartered territory.

As far as the DeskTop Dyno question. Always use the .050" method. This will compare apples to apples. Seat-to-seat is the advertised duration of a cam. Some companies use this at .004, some at .006" It's too vague. So the industry set a fixed way of measuring cam durations so you can get a more accurate idea of the cam specs. That way the IVO, IVC and EVO and EVC #s are all comparable too.

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