Sorry about the late post on this. I am a little behind in my reading
having been out of town. I am sure that it has been answered but if I wait
until I have read enough of the digests to see the answere I will have
forgotten the question!
If you are reusing the pistons, I suggest cleaning the grooves. An old
ring broken in half makes a very effective ring groove cleaner.
By your description, I would guess that you have a ring kit with a three
piece scraper ring. One piece is wide and segmented. That goes into the
biggest groove first. The two thin rings (about .020 thick, I would guess)
should fit above and below this spreader. Make sure that the gaps are on
opposite sides of the pistons.
Look at the two remaining rings. If one of them has a notch cut out of the
outside circumferance this is the top ring. The notch goes to towards the
top of the piston. The notch allows you to install new rings in an engine
that has not been bored. Without the notch, the top ring might hit against
the ridge at the top of the cylinder and cause noise and or damage. If
your top ring is not notched and you did not bore the engine, you have to
use a ridge reamer to remove the ridge.
If neither ring is notched, then look at the inside of the ring. One ring
shoud have a chamfer around the inside circumerance. That is the second
ring. This ring is installed with the chamfer towards the top of the
piston to allow it to twist slightly during the downward stroke.
Sometimes the rings are stamped with the word "top". This side goes toward
the top of the piston. Make sure that the gap are not aligned again. Some
say 120 degrees apart from each other and the top of the three piece oil
ring. I alway install at alternating 180 degree intervals.
It is a good idea to check the ring gap prior to installation. This shoul
be checked at the bottom and the top of the bore. In a worn engine, the
bottom will be tighter than the top. I have seen instances where the
cylinder is bored with a taper and the top is tighter. It pays to be
careful. Use the piston as a guide to make sure that the ring is square in
the bore.
Lubricate the rings with enging oil prior to installation.
Good luck.
Bill Eastman
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