To re-ring or not?
 

I'm considering to re-ring my race engine. I did the blowbye test before we took it apart and it came up quite nice. Most cylinders 2-4% and worst (one) cylinder leaked 12%. Didn't see anything wrong with that cylinder or valve seats. There was no edge on the top of the cylinders that I could feel with my fingers, but it could be seen of couse. All the pistons came out of their holes nicely.

So should I use 400-500$ for honing and new file-fit rings or is it waste of money and time?

I'd re-ring if I had it tore down already.

I'm with dparker, on this one if you had one cylinder down 12% you had some kind of problem. Rings lost tension/too much end gap, etc. But i would not use .004/.005 clean-up, just go back with a nice cross hatch, and put file fit rings. NOTE !! if you use nitrous, end gap should be a little more, use ring specs.

JMO

Zip.

Re-Ring it is cheap insurance

4x

If you have run the engine enough to think you might need to re-ring..then you dang sure need to replace them lifters..I learned the hardway on the lifter thing this past March..a Broke lifter will cause you much more headache then you can imagine :!: ..i know this was not your question i just try to save people the headache and expense with my costly experience....in the future if i do ANYTHING to an engine it will be to replace lifters. :D

X2 EXPECIALLY IF IT IS A ROLLER

I lost a very good 454 block because a roller lifter broke...busted the block.

Thanks, but I'm going to reuse my lifters. Under 50 passes on them since new. Valve lash didn't change during season no more than + - 0.010"

Also I rolled them on my hand pressing the roller with my thumb and the needle bearings rolled perfectly without any rought spots.

I do check the valve lash after every raceday, one pass or eight passes. Also I keep log if I have to adjust them so I will know if something is going to some direction.

thats cool...the lifter failure is one of those things that just happen anyway. i could not remeber a situation where somewhere could have felt or saw a flaw before it failed.. ..it just happens...
depending on the lifter i would probably re-use them also if just 50 passes on them....

One thing for sure if ya break one you will know it. :shock: :D

Good luck with your re-build.

Brian