About to install my new pistons and have paused at the compression rings. There is a "plain" compression ring and one with a bevel on one inner face. The rings are marked with dots so I know which side goes up... but there are no instructions as to which type ring goes where. Instinct tells me the one with the bevel should be the #2 [lower] compression ring but I just want to double check. My Chilton book shows proper spacing of the ring gaps, but says nothing about the individual rings.

 

Second groove for beveled ring. Info is listed on ring box of Hastings products. Info is on the box tabs of all places the align with the box compartments. What BS!

 

Yep I noticed the same thing when I installed my rings. The box on the tabs show which ring goes where.

 

Mine were a set of Sealed Power moly rings, they had a great instruction sheet telling you how to install the 3-piece oil ring, but jack about which compression ring went where. The box did have the info on the tabs, the it had been opened so the two were mixed together.

Hard part turned out to be getting the pistons in the block with a crappy worn out ring compresser from Autozone [loaner].

 

Did you debur the block at the top of the bore? They make a tool for that debur. I bet you did it before you removed the pistions. Never mind. I beleive you did a rebore which would remove that ridge. A while back you were thinking about rebuilding the motor as it sat in the van. I hope you are building the motor on a engine stand. That four piece oil pan gasket would be no fun to install in the van. I got a fluid tight motor, not a drop of anything. The engine stand I used was great.

 

After just 75K miles the engine was still in perfect shape save for needing a valve job, it just leaked from EVERY available gasket/ seal. Had to pull the tranny + jack up the block to remove the oil pan so decided to go ahead and yank it. That far in I decided why not go for broke [literally].

The engine wound up getting the works: block bored .020" over and zero decked, new Clevite pistons w/the shallow [-20 cc] "D" shape dish, sealed power moly rings. Head resurfaced on both mating faces and a valve job, new intake valves as the originals were filthy from the old original carb running rich, they had a good 3/16" of buildup at the base of the stems. New Comp springs, retainers & 10 degree locks to keep the valves from floating with the new Crane "truck power" cam [260/272 split duration]. New Crane factory style cast iron rockers, Melling pushrods, lifters, and high volume oil pump. New Dorman balancer, the original was still in good shape but I didn't want to have to go back and replace it in 5 years if the rubber finally decided to give out.
Kept the factory steel timing set as the Crane cam makes up for it's -4 degree timing.

 

Wow! You did go for broke! Now I don't feel so bad for doing a plane Jane rebuild on my I6. Take your time and clean your gasket surfaces and you will get a drip free engine rebuild like I did. I have been real close to waxing my oil pan because it looks so nice with the new paint and all oil free. I know! What a sick puppy I am.

 

I have a heads up for you. Because the I6 is so tall I installed the block without the head mounted on the engine into the van. I removed and installed the motor by myself. I used a cherry picker and had to jack the van up a little to get the block back into the van. I used the cherry picker to get the head back into place also, but man handled it out of van. It's a tight fit even without the head on the motor. I used chain bolted to the block and head with very little chain slack.