Inside every cylinder of an internal combustion engine, there is a combustion chamber where air and fuel are mixed together and then ignited. The gases which are produced from the combustion process are contained inside the combustion chamber by piston rings. The piston rings pressurize and seal the combustion chamber to prevent gases from slipping out between the cylinder walls and the piston.
If these gases were to leak through the piston rings, then it could affect your engine’s ability to generate power. Not only that, but engine oil could leak through the piston rings as well. These scenarios would only happen if your piston rings were damaged or deteriorated. You’ll know when something is wrong when you step on the gas pedal, and the vehicle doesn’t move as fast as it should.
Of course, there are plenty of reasons for why you would have weak acceleration. Look for oil leaks and blue smoke coming out of your exhaust system. These are indicators that you’ve probably got a piston ring issue.
Replacement Cost
It is expensive to replace piston rings. You might not believe that by looking at the affordable cost of the piston rings. They’re priced at anywhere from $25 to $150, depending on the make and model of your vehicle. However, the bigger expenses are associated with the labor costs.
Piston ring replacement is a very complicated procedure. In order to access the old piston rings, the engine needs to be removed from your vehicle first. From there, the mechanic is forced to disassemble your engine to gain access to the old piston rings. Once they’re located, the mechanic will remove those bad piston rings and replace them with some new ones. This is usually a 10-hour job.
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The average hourly rate of an auto mechanic is between $90 and $200. If they have a 10-hour job to do, that would mean their labor costs are anywhere from $900 to $2,000. When you add on the cost of the piston ring parts, you’re looking at a range of $925 to $2,150 total. Then, of course, there are the additional taxes and fees which must be accounted for as well.
Here are the basic summary of mechanic job done (Standard Procedure):
- Pull down the engine from body (engine room)
- Dismantle the engine
- Change old piston ring to the new piston ring
- Assembly the engine
- Fix to the car (engine room)
- Fill all Oils and Coolant
- and so on…
Note: Replace this piston rings procedure, commonly same as engine overhaul.
Common Parts: Engine Overhaul Kits or Cylinder Head Kit, All oils, Piston Rings, Radiator coolant
