It seems like most people either blow the head gasket or have piston ring problems. But when people build they're engine, they get stronger pistons, rods and sleeving. How does this help prevent you from blowing a head gasket or your rings?

Maybe I'm missing something obvious, but I have NO idea!

 

Let me clear something up - it's not the rings that break, but the ring lands on the pistons (on Hondas anyway).

Lowering your compression reduces the chance of knock (which a lot of people do when they build their motors for turbo), so that takes care of the head gasket. Honda head gaskets don't destroy themselves under boost - detonation is the culprit.

Forged pistons are stronger, therfor won't break quite as easily. HTH

 

Then whats the point of sleeving? It seems that all the money spent on rods and sleeving is wasted and could much better be spent on taking every step possible to prevent denotation.

Maybe I'm wrong......thats why I'm asking - to learn.

 

The reason sleeving is good is because of Hondas cylnder block design. Its called and open deck design because the stock sleeves are "floating" inside the block. Under extreme cylnder pressures (lotsa boost) the sleeves move around to an unaceptable degree wich can cause major dammage.
Preventing knock or predetonation is key because the uncontrolled explosions will burn pistons and shatter the ring lands as stated above.

 

exactly why we've been preaching proper engine management for quite a while now. I've seen people go 11's on the stock block. The weak link isn't the pistons, or rings, or rods, or even the sleeves. It's the ECU, followed by the pistons, sleeves, rods. Even a fully built motor will grenade itself without proper engine management

 

Ok, but what about the rods? One of those "as long as I have my engine apart and they're only a few hundred, I might as well" things? Or is there a good reason for them as well?

BTW, thanks for the info guys. I can always count on you guys for great stuff.

 

I think engine building is too expensive to leave something like a connecting rod to chance. If you're doing anything in there, I always believe to do it all.

 

changing connecting rods is mostly a precaution
you don't want to build a $5k motor and risk anything happening

even AEB with their drag civic (running 10's or 11's) just have thier stock rods shotpeened

aftermarket rods are stronger and lighter which reduces rotating mass

 

I agree. You can get the sleeving, rods and rings but those can still break. You can run anywhere up to 10 lbs on a stock bottom end (Some guy on this forum was running 14 on his GSR stock bottom!), but the most important thing is to manage the fuel as to prevent DETONATION. I was running 3 lbs on a stock bottom, not tuned properly and now I'm installing a new motor.

Detonation can occur with or without reinforcements. MANAGE YOUR FUEL CURVE and you don't need to reinforce... up to a certain degree.

 

does this ever make you think about not using ARP head studs ---- I would rather blow the headgasket than replace bottom end???
My problem is that my head will never lift, copper headgasket, head O-ringed, arp hardware all around

 

What are ARP head studs? i think i've got a misunderstanding of them... or theose just the oem studs that go inot the hold the head down to the block?