Posted by Vaughn on Wednesday, February 19, 2003 at 9:21PM :
In Reply to: Piston Rings posted by Matt Wilson on Wednesday, February 19, 2003 at 7:07PM :
1. If the engine was not bored, you did cut the ring ridge out of the cylinder top - right?
2. Is there a glaze on the cylinder walls? It can happen within 50 miles, if so rehone. If it were me, I would rehone.
3. After you hone wash the cylinders with warm soapy water to remove all grit. Soapy water is the only way you get all the grit out of the hone marks from the walls. Gas or cleaning solvent will not do it. Makes a big difference in the length of the engine's life.
4. Go with Chrome rings. On a good hone they will seat fine, but if the cylinders were not bored, they will take longer to seat. On one engine doing the above took about 8,000 miles to seat the rings, but it was not bored. You can tell by turning the engine off - you will hear compression leak by the rings until they seat.
4. Install one ring at a time in the cylinder to the bottom of the ring piston travel and check for proper ring gap, file one end if necessary. This may be why one broke, if that was not originally done.
5. Place the gaps of the oil rings parellel with the piston pin end for maximum oil control. Stagger all remaining ring gaps at 90 degrees from each other for maximum compression.
6. Lube your clyinder wall with 30sae oil and the oil ring only. When you assemble there will be enough remaining on the wall to lube the compression rings which really isn't necessary anyway. The problem with lubing the compression rings is that the oil can carbonize under the breakin heat resulting in froozen rings - not good. They don't get oiled under normal operation (oil ring!), unless the engine is worn.
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