273 & 318 single piston ring availability

[DaveBonds]

Sometimes parts are nice to us and sometimes they are as expected. lol

This is more of a heads up to everyone here, gracefully forbid you ever do need to replace a broken piston ring in a 273, 318 or any other engine with a smaller bore diameter than 4.000"

I was gapping and installing rings on the new pistons and on the last piston, one popped on me. It's happened to me before, replacing them in transmission servos, but never before on an engine.

Most piston and ring suppliers have one manufacturer; Hastings. They are the only dedicated foundry in the U.S. that makes rings in every size imaginable.

I purchased the KB set I have through Summit Racing and they told me to contact the parent company that owns the Keith Black name (United Engine), who then told me to contact Hastings.

Hastings told me that they do deal in individual replacement rings, but with the P.O. and pulling from warehouse stock, my cost would be something to the tune of $25+ the ride, for ONE ring... Yeah...

So, after going through their website and measuring what I have on a caliper, I found the ring that I needed to replace.

After talking to the tech at customer service, they were able to locate a local engine parts supplier that was able to get me the replacement ring for $10.

I'm sure that they are still marking it up, but it's a lot more reasonable solution to a mistake than the going rate for a complete cylinder set or through Hastings order form.

The reason I specified 273 and 318 is because Summit Racing sells their own brand of piston ring, which is also made by Hastings, but the availability of a single cylinder or replacement single ring per order is from 4.000" bore and up.

I don't understand why they don't stock smaller sizes. Hastings goes down much further, but I suppose it's a supply and demand thing with Summit.

Anyway, should you ever be in the need of one ring for a 273 or 318, go straight to Hastings and have a distributor to go through.

 

[Bad Sport]

Geez, I'm wore out just reading that.

What a process to have to go through to find one ring. I suppose you're right about the supply/demand thing, after all how many people buy one ring regularly.

 

[DaveBonds]

I'm sure it's an anomaly, but jezzzzus... What a PITA!

So yeah, if you ever break a piston ring on a 318 rebuild, go straight to Hastings.

Knowing that most manus have them made by Hastings, at this point, I'm just going to go straight to them for all of my rings, regardless.

I ended up getting them from a retail supplier, who got them from the manufacturer, who was the supplier to the supplier to the original retail supplier I bought the set from. Um... yeah.

It's silly how many actual parts manufacturers there really are left!

 

[toolmanmike]

I ended up buying a whole set just for one ring. I have extras I will never use.
+.030 273 tmm

 

[DaveBonds]

And that's exactly why I wanted to share this info.

I almost did just that, Mike. Something to the tune of about $50+ride for the same set... for ONE ring.

Maybe someone should sticky this thread or something, both for the info about Hastings and maybe for people who do have extras that would be willing to part sets out, seeing as how Summit, Jegs and even United Engine won't deal individual rings for anyone building anything smaller than 4" bore engines.

I don't think this is uncommon enough to have to buy an entire set of rings. Clearly, they supply individual rings and single cylinder sets for mishap situations, but only because 4" + bores are more common on other brands of engines and the larger bore Chrysler stuff.

 

[bad440]

good info, i think there should be a sticky for stuff like rings that are only made in one place anymore.does this mean the total seal and or the childs albert zgs rings are made by hastings also?

 

[sireland67]

When you said one ring popped on you were you using a ring "spreader"?
I always spin the rings around the pistons, no tool required.

 

[Abodybomber]

Been there,not fun Dave. Good info. Hastings doesn't let go of part numbers. That's a good thing obviously.

 

[DaveBonds]

good info, i think there should be a sticky for stuff like rings that are only made in one place anymore.does this mean the total seal and or the childs albert zgs rings are made by hastings also?

I'm really not sure, but one way you can find out is by poking around the company, either by website or by phone and ask if they are made in the United States. If so, you have your answer, since it's the only foundry. Even if not, Hastings makes a matching unit. They have everything under the sun.

They go by metal and treatment type, profile (torsional bevel, reverse torsional bevel, etc), and finally, bore measurement and profile measurement in their master catalog. They have cross reference as well as other methods of finding rings.

http://www.hastingsmfg.com/

If you mouse over Aftermarket, they have a ring finder database that is easy to use.

When you said one ring popped on you were you using a ring "spreader"?
I always spin the rings around the pistons, no tool required.

I use a pair of trans snap ring pliers that does not spread the ring enough to get it around, but helps open it up a little, so when I spin it on by hand, they don't give me a hard time.

I know how I broke the ring. I was spinning it and lost grip on one hand, tried to pull it up again and around and put odd tension on it.

I usually just have a Vulcan death grip on them, near the ends so the ends don't touch the piston, outside of the groove it goes on, start with oil rings, then second compression, and top last.