I'm putting together a 451 with some Ross pistons and about 12.25:1 compression. I'm contemplating using nitrous but am unsure about how much. I have been advised that I should avoid plasma moly rings for a nitrous application but have heard it's okay up to a 150 shot. Obviously I have heard good things about the Hellfire rings or some total seals but also heard they aren't really a maintenance free long lasting set up. This will be a street strip car and will accumulate maybe 1500 miles a year at best. What do you guys recommend for a nitrous application? I really don't want to pull the motor down every year to change rings. Is there long lasting quality that comes with the price tag on a nice set of nitrous spec'd rings? Thoughts?

I would put a good set of moly tops with cast seconds and standard tension oil rings and open up the ring gaps up to the maximum recommended by the ring maker you use for your NOS power levels, bigger is better when it comes to ring gap and NOS

For what you are talking, you do not need any special nitrous ring package.Gap accordingly, and you'll be fine.

After researching this all afternoon, I think the I'm going to go with the Plasma Molys. They both have there pros and cons but I think for the direction I'm going the Speed pros should work for now. You guys called it. Thanks for the input.

My 451 has Mahle plasma moly's on Iconn forged pistons. The gapping instructions that came with the rings had specific instructions for nitrous, supercharged, ect. Everything I remember with the literature that came with them seemed to suggest that they were fine for Nitrous Applications. Even though I don't have any immediate plans for a nitrous system, I gapped mine per the nitrous application, with the thought that I may someday throw a mild system at it.

Here's the next set of questions: What is the difference between Plasma Moly and Moly rings? Which one would be better? Low tension or standard tension rings? Second ring design or material preference? I'm sure I'm being overly picky but I'm here to learn.