Piston ring installation, it's not difficult but you do need to put some thought into it. Install the piston/rod into a vise using soft jaws, you don't wanna mark up the rod and put any stress risers into it. Make sure there's no tension on the piston skirt or the big end of the rod. The first thing to get installed is the oil ring expander, that simply be installed by hand, don't overlap the ends they butt together. Next is the 2 oil scraper rings, they are a flexible stainless steel so they ca

Real Street - How to install pistons into the cylinder....

Finally time to install the pistons. I like to lay everything I need out on a bench: pistons, assembly lube, container of oil, ring compressor, hammer (to use the handle). Before the piston goes in first orientate the positions of the ring end gap, I put the top ring gap to the Rh, the 2nd ring to the Lh side and the oil scrapers towards the Rh side 90deg from each other-expander towards the Lh side. All rings should move freely with no binding or drag. Dip the head of the piston in some oil, st