Rings
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New User
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 6
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From: Woodland Wa
Rings
I am rebuilding my wife's '77 F250 4x4. I have the 400 back from the machine shop and several boxes of new goodies. I just installed the Crank and have a Ring Compressor, a whole bunch of shiney new pistons and rings. My question is how do you get the rings on the pistons? Just pull gently til they are over and in the correct slot? I have Top, Middle and Bottom and then have these 8 squiggly looking rings. What are they?
Senior User
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 480
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From: Alabama
You can either get a ring expander/installer or use your thumbs to gently spread them and install in the pistons. the thumb method is hard on your thumbs and if you twist them you run the risk of snapping a ring.
Also check the gaps on the rings to make sure they are with in specs.
Also check the gaps on the rings to make sure they are with in specs.
Elder User
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 987
Likes: 2
From: East Bend, Carolina, U.S
I suggest looking in the packaging that the pistons and rings came in for the manufacturers instructions. The basics for installing rings are to check the gaps of the rings for each cylinder they are going into before installing them. You must get a ring expander to help avoid breaking any rings while installing them onto the pistons. There is no fool proof way to install rings and pistons, so if this is your first experience in rebuilding an engine I suggest getting an engine rebuilding book as well as asking questions here. It essentially takes reading an entire book of details before you turn the first nut.
Don't get me wrong, I would enjoy nothing more than to help with questions concerning details not covered or not covered clearly enough. Just do yourself a favor by obtaining a rebuilding book for ford engines.
The squiggly things go between the oil rings on the botton groove. It goes on first and then the two thin rings on top and bottom of it. The two top rings are the compression rings. The gaps for the rings have to be staggered in order to get the best performance from the rings. The installation of these rings onto the pistons is really easy. Installing pistons into the block is much more challenging if you have never done this before.
Don't get me wrong, I would enjoy nothing more than to help with questions concerning details not covered or not covered clearly enough. Just do yourself a favor by obtaining a rebuilding book for ford engines.
The squiggly things go between the oil rings on the botton groove. It goes on first and then the two thin rings on top and bottom of it. The two top rings are the compression rings. The gaps for the rings have to be staggered in order to get the best performance from the rings. The installation of these rings onto the pistons is really easy. Installing pistons into the block is much more challenging if you have never done this before.
