Originally Posted By HotRodDave
I noticed less blow by at idle, I've never had an issue with oil consumption in any engine I built except one that was washing down the bores because the carb was so rich and that one was fine after putting the long block in an EFI rig.

My last hot rod I built for myself I tried 1/16 rings, low tension top and oil rings with a napier 2nd and it uses zero oil and no blow by holding my hands over the cap and breather holes when hot, just a tiny bit cold and that engine turns over very easy, I can grab the crank snout with my bare hands and turn the whole short block over with no valve train. I did atempt to keep some of the oil drain back from the heads off the crank by draining some of it to the timing chain, I ran a std oil pimp, crank scraper and tighter than normal bearing clearances with highly polished crank journals.

I used to be afraid of low tension skinny rings but all the manufactures are doing it and you hardly see any issues with them burning oil. Mostly true however what is ironic is the last time I spoke with Keith Jones about this very issue he started complaining about how his brand new 2016 GM LS truck burned a quart every 1000 miles and how GM told him it was just the nature of the beast--LOL My 2011 5.7 had 300,000 miles with 1mm rings and didn't burn a drop, just had a flat cam from a roller tht stopped rolling. They use good oil control combined with the thin rings to help efficency and combine that without carbs dumping excess fuel bore wear is almost gone.


As you have pointed out HRD--VERY hard to beat a quality modern thin ring pack featuring a Napier second. In fact I have used Mahle's 1mm/1mm/2mm in an oil burning LS7 7.0L and while I was worried at first--that engine ceased all oil consumption issues and picked up power at the tires. Also worth noting is the recommended piston clearances from Mahle Motorsports .0025-.0035" -Love those piston kits. J.Rob


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