Kawi2strokes.com Forum

Just opened my KH400 parts ready to rebuild my engine and the NOS Kawasaki piston ring set has an expansion ring along with the black and silver rings.
Was this ever used and why is it there?

The expansion ring was stock and goes on the lower piston groove with the thinner ring.

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Answers are here: http://kawatriple.com/

Just looked in Glenns and there is a NOTE: The S Series does not have the piston expander ring.
Would that mean the S3 doesn't have it but the KH does?

The expander ring was in my S3A and it is clearly shown in the KH400 parts list.

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Answers are here: http://kawatriple.com/

OK Thanks I'll fit them then. Would it make much difference if you didn't do you think?

Don't see the logic in not fitting something that the bottom ring was designed to run with

Gary T

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Wine for my men we ride at dawn

We always pitched them, less reciprocal weight.....

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Twist the throttle, tilt the horizon, and have a great time. What triples are all about...........

For a street engine, we always ran them, as they help keep the piston as centered in the bore as possible, so the piston dosen't "cock" in the bores. Of course, some run fresh bored piston clearances way past the normal worn out clearances, and don't have great ting sealing from the pistons rocking in the bores, lifting the rings off the bores in a couple of places in their circumferences.

We never used more than .015 clearance with a cast piston, no more than .002 for a factory forged R series piston, they'd collapse after one lap anyway, making the clearances too large to work well anyway.

For those applications that are taken apart between races, we saw a lot of people not use them, and not have great piston and ring life.

Only thoughts on it from way back then, do as you please.