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Can someone shed some light on what is considered proper piston ring alignment. I have seen some fuzzy diagrams about alignment, but no clear information or a diagram.
Yeah, stagger the gaps. Depends on how many rings are used but the key thing to do is make sure none of the ring gaps will line up when the piston is in the bore.
Be especially sure that the oil rings(usually 2 thin ones and one wavey fat one) don't have their gaps lined up, otherwise you will burn more oil than you should.
Also be very sure that the end gaps are as specified. A lot of rings come oversized(so they have enough meat on them to file to fit) and will have no gap at all when installed if you don't gap them first. If you don't gap the rings, they may sieze or break. Been there done that, my idiot friend "the expert" forgot to gap the rings on my first engine. Expensive lesson.