TheSamba.com :: View topic - Hastings / Grant / Deves / Total Seal Piston Rings

Thu Nov 18, 2021 10:04 pm

Hey all, i've done some searches and am wanting some more info / personal experiences before I decide. What are Hastings, Grant, Deves, Total Seal piston rings like in a VW aircooled engine and do they last? Which would be good for a standard rebuild. Thanks heaps in advance!

Thu Nov 18, 2021 11:09 pm

Don't forget NPR and Mahle :wink:

I don't like deves compression rings, and I don't like gapless second rings.

Thu Nov 18, 2021 11:18 pm

modok wrote: Don't forget NPR and mahle :wink:

Thanks Modok! lol

Thu Nov 18, 2021 11:22 pm

I could go on for days but maybe we be more specific, you find what rings are available in your size for instance.

Thu Nov 18, 2021 11:25 pm

modok wrote: I could go on for days but maybe we be more specific, you find what rings are available in your size for instance.

I’ll take some measurements and see what’s available as you mentioned. So far from a quick (not in depth) search, Hastings and Grant seem to be available here in Australia

Fri Nov 19, 2021 12:35 am

You have to throw type of material into the discussion as well chrome vs cast iron

Fri Nov 19, 2021 10:05 am

Cast Grant rings, and most importantly.......correct cylinder prep. Works every time, and doesn't cost much.

Brian

Fri Nov 19, 2021 11:06 am

Brian_e wrote: Cast Grant rings, and most importantly.......correct cylinder prep. Works every time, and doesn't cost much.

Brian

^^^^^this^^^^^

I reringed a set of 90.5 Mahles that had 45k on them with some cast Grants. I had less than 2% leak down after another 20k, and a few hundred passes at the track.

Fri Nov 19, 2021 11:07 am

Yup what Brian said.

Cylinder prep can go down a long dark tunnel of "what you must do". You gotta use 3 different honing tools, Torque plates, SUMEBore, Nikisil, etc.

One 320 grit ball hone and $50 set of Grant rings on a $200 AA piston and cylinder kit and I have 180psi cranking compression on 10:1 engine with all cylinders within 1 psi of eachother. For most this is already more then what is normally acheived.

Fri Nov 19, 2021 5:29 pm

Whatever you do don’t waste your $ on Deves, they are complete garbage. Plain cast rings are fine in the majority of applications and like has been mentioned already cylinder prep is most important.

Tue Nov 23, 2021 8:12 am

I kinda place these in order of acceptable to good

Grant
Hastings
Mahle
Total Seal (keep in mind you can get conventional gapped sets from them)