Well I had injectors changed, head redone, valves, guides springs and decked. I was told that they were due for service but not bad enough to cause a rough idle and white smoke. So I dropped the pan in the truck and pulled all 6 pistons. Found 2 broken rings on #6 (problem cylinder), one broke on #5, and one broke on #1. Got all new rings and got her buttoned back up. Put head back on with arp's and waiting on rockers from a second gen because I am not using the pos plastic ones we have.Two of them are broke too. Has anyone else had ring problems? What would be the cause? EGTS? Thanks in advance

 

Ether is a good cause of that. And the ring lands might be damaged too. When the rings get a lot of side clearance, from damaged pistons due to ether usage, they can break. Be sure to check the ring side clearance or you might be back in there soon.

Another cause is re-ringing an engine without removing the ridge at the top of the cylinder. The upper new square edge of the ring hits the ridge and is forced down. It can break the ring or damage the ring lands and then the ring has too much side clearance and can break.

 

Just curious,

Sounds like you did the work yourself-

How much did the rings and new gaskets set you back?

You say you had it decked (the block), or did they just machine the head?

Were your pistons OK (no broken lands?)?

How many miles on your engine, and did you have a noticeable ridge on the top of the bores?

Did you have a problem getting a hone down into the back bores?

Was it burning oil, or just pushing smoke and oil from the breather vent?

Thanks,
Bob

 

Got it all, Thanks

 

Dirt also breaks rings.

 

a good friend on mine is going to have to rebuild his 06. i believe he has a lot of blow by (coming out of the vent tube at the valve cover) and he goes threw about a gallon of oil every 3k miles. i wonder if we can just rebuild/rering the motor in the truck like you did.

 

Yeah, it is definatley doable. I am not a mechanic but just had some experience working on my chevelle growing up. We just pulled the head, Loosened one motor mount and lift the engine enough to get to the pan. As long as you have some extra hands and the tools it's not that bad. Dirty but not bad.

 

we have a bad feeling though that the cylinder walls are scroned from the amount of blow by he has. it still pulls fine though. we noitced after he bought the truck that the air filter got sucked up and dirt was getting past the filter into the turbo and what not.

 

Mine had one small scratch in 5 and 6. nothing you could grab with a fingernail so I just honed it with a 220 stone real good. I would pull the head and have a look before you drop the pan. If it's not to bad then just do it right there, If it is well there is a little more work to be done. Just get a manual so that you have all the right torque specs. It's nothing but bolts.

 

I had my truck in at the dealership a little while back, and got talking with the diesel mech. He told me that he had seen a few trucks come in with broken rings now, mostly the 04.5 and up. Said there was no rhyme or reason to it, some low miles, some high miles, some pulled heavy, others didn't. But he said he had fixed a few already. Maybe a design flaw?? I don't know, but I am seeing more posts about this kind of thing, there is a guy on cumminsforum going through this too.