# Broke 3 outta 4 pistons just above/Below where the rings sit

**URL:** <https://forums.speedlife.net/t/broke-3-outta-4-pistons-just-above-below-where-the-rings-sit/100911>\
**Category:** SON240sx Automotive\
**Created:** [October 17, 2006, 4:09pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/broke-3-outta-4-pistons-just-above-below-where-the-rings-sit/100911 "2006-10-17T16:09:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![240coupe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/e495f1/32.png) [@240coupe](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/240coupe)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2006, 4:09pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/broke-3-outta-4-pistons-just-above-below-where-the-rings-sit/100911/1 "2006-10-17T16:09:09Z")

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Ok i built an engine a while back and it ran fine for a while but then it started to have alot of visual crankcase emissions and low compression

So today i finally had time to take it apart and i found out that 3 of the four pistons were missing peices just above and below where the rings set into the pistons.

What caused this? improper ring gaps? Detonation?

engine had sohc pistons in it and i belive it knocked a few times before the engine became really bad.

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**Author:** ![Sasha\_SG](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/sasha_sg/32/5477_2.png) [@Sasha\_SG](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Sasha_SG)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2006, 5:35pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/broke-3-outta-4-pistons-just-above-below-where-the-rings-sit/100911/2 "2006-10-17T17:35:01Z")

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Either detonation or putting the wrong rings in the wrong places

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**Author:** ![G-E](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/g-e/32/5546_2.png) [@G-E](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/G-E)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2006, 9:55pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/broke-3-outta-4-pistons-just-above-below-where-the-rings-sit/100911/3 "2006-10-17T21:55:49Z")

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nissan made very reliable engines, but the pistons are the limiting factor, weak ringlands… when going aftermarket it’s pretty common to spec a larger top ring spacing

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**Author:** ![240coupe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/e495f1/32.png) [@240coupe](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/240coupe)\
**Post date:** [October 18, 2006, 8:18pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/broke-3-outta-4-pistons-just-above-below-where-the-rings-sit/100911/4 "2006-10-18T20:18:51Z")

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turns out i only broke the ring lands below the top ring

And they werent nissan pistons thats probily why this happened.

But i was wondering what actually caused the pistons to break like that.

i noticed that on all 3, the ends of the rings were above or below where pistons broke.

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**Author:** ![DTS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8491ac/32.png) [@DTS](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/DTS)\
**Post date:** [October 19, 2006, 3:07pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/broke-3-outta-4-pistons-just-above-below-where-the-rings-sit/100911/5 "2006-10-19T15:07:01Z")

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perhaps you should invest in a honda, good reliablity.

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**Author:** ![G-E](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/g-e/32/5546_2.png) [@G-E](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/G-E)\
**Post date:** [October 19, 2006, 6:17pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/broke-3-outta-4-pistons-just-above-below-where-the-rings-sit/100911/6 "2006-10-19T18:17:19Z")

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> [@240coupe](#):
>
> And they werent nissan pistons thats probily why this happened.

what were they?