VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1912-1928 Piston rings

I know that there has been some discussion on the Chatter about piston rings but I couldn't find where this issue was discussed......

It was brought to my attention that Filling Station is selling piston rings for the years 1915-1928. Gary has them listed as 1916-28 Piston Rings and 1916-28 Piston Rings for original Chevrolet pistons 3/16" & 5/32".

Hastings lists them like this:
1928 Chevrolet 3 11/16 4 4198 8 - 5/32 4 - 5/32
1917-27 Chevrolet 3 11/16 4 4155 8 - 3/16 4 - 3/16


Any reason behind the listings like this?

You can get the rings locally at a car quest store for about $42 I was told and confirmed with the parts guy that he could get them.

Obtaining you piston rings from the local parts store is the least expensive way to go. The $42 price quote noted above looks about right.

Hastings has a web site, which you can Google to find them, and obtain the information you need.

Suppliers like the Filling Station and Gary Wallace provide a great service to our hobby. Both are easy to work with and things would be a lot different for us if they weren't around. However, having said that, I recently placed an order for several items, one of which was a piston ring set. The basic order arrived minus the piston rings and it amounted to just over a hundred dollars plus a $14 shipping charge. My supplier "drop" ordered the piston rings to his supplier, which happened to be Egge, and when I received the rings the charge was $69.50 plus a second shipping charge of $12.

I think that David is asking why the year application listings for the rings between the Filling Station, Gary Wallace, and Hastings are all different.

One reason is that the three sources are likely using rings from three different sources. Hastings still makes rings. They will sell you what they make for 3 11/16" pistons with oversizes. Unfortunately the original rings are much wider than modern ones and it is not practical to alter the piston grooves to accept narrower rings. It is possible to recut the piston grooves if you find wider rings.

Another reason is that 16-27 pistons are cast iron and '28 pistons alloy (like aluminum). And pistons are available from several sources (Egge, Badger, NOS, NORS) and manufacturers.

A third is that they are each only going with the information that they feel comfortable publishing and backing with their reputation.

A fourth is that they might have incorrect information. Caveat Emptor.

First, the piston ring thickness' are different between 1927 and 1928. 3/16" for 1927 and 5/32" for 1928. I learned that the hard way from purchasing a set of rings from a vendor in Hershey a few years back that were marked as 1928 Chevrolet and back 4 cylinder vehicles.

The following may explain the reason for the 1915 - 1916 difference notation between the two vendors. A specification chart listed in a book entitled, "Early Chevrolet History" shows different models in the same year with different cylinder bores sizes other that the 3 11/16 noted.

1915 model H (3-11/16)
1915 model L (3- 5/16)

1916 model H (3-11/16)
1916 490 (3-11/16)

1917 490 (3-11/16)
1917 model D (3- 3/8)
1917 model F (3-11/16)

1918 and 1919 are shown to be the same as 1917 models and sizes

Starting with 1920 models and continuing through 1928 all cylinder bores where shown to be 3-11/16" except for the model C in 1923 which is listed as being 3-1/2"

The data sheets in an Chevrolet early 4 cylinder parts book confirm this information.
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Junkyard, you are correct.

I was wondering why Hastings lists 1928 as a different part number and the Filling Station and Gary group it with the 1915 and 1916 through 1928?

If you have a 1928 that takes 5/32 ring, do you want to use a 3/16 ring, if Hastings is correct. I just don't know how they can sell a "one size fits all" if it doesn't or does close count and 1/32 isn't enough to matter?

Just food for though.....

Thanks all

Here's what Gary Wallace's catalog says with regards to pistons and piston rings for early Chevrolets (4 cylinders)

1913 - 1928 Pistons (set of 4)
1916 - 1928 Piston Rings (set for 4 pistons) for above pistons
1916 - 1828 Piston Rings for original pistons 3/16" & 5/32"

Gary isn't saying one set fits all. You have a choice, 3/16 or 5/32 depending upon what year you have and providing you have the original pistons.

The Filling Station catalog lists: Part No. AF-402: Year(s) 1915-28: Pistom ring set - 4 cylinder. Based upon my experience with them the clerk I talked with asked many question about what I had and just what it was that I needed. Since I knew I needed 5/32" wide rings and we discussed that, that's exactly what I received.

I don't know what specifications Hastings is following for their '28 rings, original pistons, later replacement or modern? They should be able to tell you which or at least the width.

Your assumption that a listing assumes a "one size fits all" is wrong. The listing is based on the information used by the supplier. That information is NOT always the same and others use. The lesson is to ask questions, give answers and be prepared to send stuff back that does not fit. All of the suppliers try their best to sell the correct parts but with so many different manufacturers over 80 years things change. See below for further discussion.

Since there are more than one company that made pistons for these cars and they were made over many years they are not all the same. Yes they will all be for 3 11/16" pistons with the wrist pin the proper size and distance from the top. So they will all work in in the engines. But they all do not have the same size ring grooves. If manufactured in the late 20s or early 30s they likely had the same sized rings as originals. If later likely thinner. Today Egge pistons have grooves to fit the rings they sell or visa-versa. Jahns have rings to fit their pistons. Same with Badger.