Gas ported pistons for street use

[Todd H]

Would gas porting a set of pistons increase ring wear on a street engine? I'm looking at rebuilding my engine and doing some modifications and thought about gas porting. I don't want to have to tear it back down every year to replace rings etc. Anyone run this setup on a high mileage motor before? TIA Todd H

[67RS502]

Would lateral gas ports work ok on the street? anyone tried that?

[SStrokerAce]

Lateral gas ports would be the only ones I would run on the street. Gas porting depends on the size of the rings and size of the bore. A larger ring doesn't need a gas port to help it seal nor does a small bore.

All depends though... some motors can't live without gas ports. The RM boys could chime in on that one I'm sure.

Bret

[67RS502]

Gas porting depends on the size of the rings and size of the bore. A larger ring doesn't need a gas port to help it seal nor does a small bore.
Bret

Wouldnt low tension (small) rings work well with lat. gas ports?

[Todd H]

Lateral gas ports would be the only ones I would run on the street

Can you elobrate on this more? Todd H

[Ron C.]

If this motor is going to see lot's of street miles then stick with a conventional ring combination. A big part of a rings job is to transfer heat from the piston to the cylinder wall. If you don't what to be changing rings more than once a year of high mileage street driving, don't go down that road.

[SupStk]

Unless I'm totally missing the point the reason for gas ports (lateral or otherwise) is to get combustion gas behind the rings on tight fit top rings. For normal street use I wouldn't consider that type of package advantagious or even desireable.

[SStrokerAce]

Agreed, once you have carbon build up filling the ports they are pointless anyways. On a street motor this is very likely to happen.

Bret