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Posted By Discussion Topic: ring compressor and procedure pointers     supereal 10-13-2011 @ 8:12 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 6819 Joined: Oct 2009 Before you hone the cylinders, have them checked for taper. A cylinder hone consists of three flat stones mounted on a shaft with tensioning springs. They do a good job if the cylinders are straight. The process, when done correctly, provides a uniform cross hatch pattern that allows the new rings to seat. Have a good machine shop check your block and confirm whether the bores are oversize before you invest in parts. We never know what we will find in old engines. I've never used a ball hone, and would be concerned about using one, particularly if you haven't done this work. This message was edited by supereal on 10-13-11 @ 8:15 PM parrish 10-12-2011 @ 8:22 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 349 Joined: Oct 2009 Tom, Good idea. I will do it. I only plan to break the glaze and cross hatch, so it sounds like a ball hone is in order and that should be a 3 1/16 inch for a 21 stud, correct? Where would a person find such an animal? parrish 10-12-2011 @ 8:21 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 349 Joined: Oct 2009 Tom, Good idea. I will do it. I only plan to break the glaze and cross hatch, so it sounds like a ball hone is in order and that should be a 3 1/16 inch for a 21 stud, correct? Where would a person find such an animal? TomO 10-12-2011 @ 7:11 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 7253 Joined: Oct 2009 I like to cover the rod threads with rubber hose to prevent accidental damage to the crankshaft. Tom parrish 10-11-2011 @ 5:07 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 349 Joined: Oct 2009 That's great information! Thanks to both of you for taking the time to write it down. I'll let you guys know how it goes... Stroker 10-11-2011 @ 3:08 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 1460 Joined: Oct 2009 Parrish: If was me, I'd make sure any carbon ridge was removed, and I'd scuff the bores with a ball hone to create a cross-hatch pattern even if I was just "freshening" the rings. Oldford2 covered the ring compressor very well. It's not a bad idea to fit the rings one at a time in the cylinder before installing on the pistons, and check the ring gap; as too little gap can result in a broken ring when the motor warms up. I like to space the rings so the gaps are away from the thrust side of the bore (which is the top side on the left bank and on the bottom of the right bank). I put the gap on the top ring at the bottom of the left bank, and the top of the left. The next (scr*per) ring I'd put facing either the front or rear of the engine, and the oil ring just the opposite of the scr*per. On a 4-ring piston, I'd put the bottom ring opposite the one above. The rings will probably move around a bit when you run it, but this is the way I like them to start out. Others will undoubtedly have different opinions, but this has worked for me for 55 years, so I'll stick with it. Having re-read my post, I should probably add that the "ball hone" has only been around for about 40 years, so we used a straight stone hone in the early years. All you are trying to do in this process is to remove any glaze, and present a new surface for the new rings to seat into. A "legendary" aviation mechanic I once worked for, would apply a liberal dose of Bon Ami cleansing powder to the intake on running freshly-rebuilt Pratt & Whitney 985's that wouldn't seat their rings. I'm certainly not advocating that,as the Bon Ami can do bad things to all the bearings; but putting new rings in a mirror-like cylinder can often result in their never properly seating-in. This message was edited by Stroker on 10-11-11 @ 3:28 PM oldford2 10-11-2011 @ 2:28 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 275 Joined: Oct 2009 Parrish, I bought a very good quality ring compressor at Sears a few years ago (made in USA). Once you have installed the rings and properly lined up the gaps, dip the piston assembly in in a can of oil (30W) to saturate the rings. Lay the oily assembly on an old towel and slip the compressor over the piston with the square adjusting key toward the top of the piston. Leave a quarter inch of the skirt showing and tighten as much as the slippery piston allows. Now, I take a rubber mallet and lightly tap around the sides of the compressor. This may allow another click or two of tightening. Then insert the skirt of the piston in the cylinder and with the wooden end of the mallet start tapping the piston into the cylinder while reaching in the bottom of the bore to line up the rod with the crank. Have the crank turned so the journal is at the bottom of the stroke for the piston you are working on. When the piston has fully entered the bore the compressor will drop off and then continue to tap the rod into position. John This message was edited by oldford2 on 10-11-11 @ 2:28 PM parrish 10-11-2011 @ 11:59 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 349 Joined: Oct 2009 I'm going to replace the standard ring set and would like recommendations on a ring compressor and any procedural gotchas...Thanks!

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