Piston rings are vital in any engine. Whether it’s a small personal vehicle for a regular driver, a race car designed to be at the peak of engineering perfection, or a huge haulage vehicle meant to transport tonnes of goods across a country, piston rings ensure that the engine is functioning at it’s best ability. Their function doesn’t stop on land, however, and in boats, piston rings remain vital. Their failure can mean a bad voyage and perhaps even a broken engine, so recognising exactly why marine piston rings fail can make the difference.
Wear and Tear
In the case of a piston ring being in use for too long, they might simply become worn out from long periods of use. High pressure and temperature, especially towards the top of a piston, can mean that the rings get damaged and the metal gets misshapen. No matter who the piston ring manufacturer is, the ring will gradually become worn and eventually stop working. This is the most common cause of piston ring failures, and the best way to stop issues arising is to simply keep an eye on your engine’s condition.
Inadequate Exhaust Size
When your exhaust is too small, your engine can’t release all of the built-up hot gas and the pressure rises. This heats up and damages the piston rings even further, so their usually gradual wear is increased and they’ll break even faster. When designing, purchasing or modifying your vehicles, ensuring larger exhausts can keep your vehicles going for longer. This is an even greater risk when boating, as the engines are put under significantly more stress than on land.
Breakage Due to Design or Manufacturing Faults
Engines can be extremely fragile and require very precise engineering and manufacturing. If there are any potential faults, such as the piston rings being too loose or perhaps too tight, they’ll deal with far more stress when working. Although they need to be tight to allow sealing, rings that are too tight can lead to big problems. The extreme forces acting on the piston ring can cause it to crack or even snap, meaning it will need replacing. In the case of submerged engines, there is also the risk of leaks with a poorly engineered engine. Introducing water to any engine will do significant harm, especially to the piston rings.
If you need a supply of marine piston rings, look no further than Precision Products UK! We offer an excellent range of parts to suit your needs. As well as marine parts, we also design and manufacture industrial parts for a wide variety of projects.