StoogeMoe

I read the factory service manual and it doesn't provide any direction for the end gap alignment. The Goetze ring diagrams only show the oil rings being 180 degrees apart.

I searched the forums and it suggests two basic methods - A and B. The third method C is mentioned in the Haynes manual. Is there a consensus on which to use? The arrow in the drawing points to the front of the engine.

____________________________________
1986 944 NA - Guards Red - 87k miles
1983 944 NA - Platinum metallic - awaiting new engine
1985.1 944 NA - Guards Red - donor car
1984 911 Carrera Coupe - Guards Red (gone, but not forgotten)
"If you're not living on the edge, you're not living"

Zero10

C looks good to me, gives the compression gasses the furthest distance to follow, except for maybe A
My rings had a 3-piece oil ring, so I'm not sure the advice I was given is accurate for you.

2bridges

I have rebuild a number of engines (none porsche by the way)
I have always used your C method, and maintain at least 90% apart between any two gaps under all circumstances.

Tom Carson

btw...what needs to be done to the sharp edges at the ring gap ?

2bridges

nothing
the gap closes up very small once in the cylinder

Hans

I would start with either B or C and would not worry too much.
If you would take the engine apart in say 2 yeard and look at the slot postion you will find that they have moved "at random" anyway.

Zero10

Hans, after 6000 miles on my 951, the rings were exactly where I left them. If they move around once installed, that suggests that there is excessive play in the recess for the ring, no?

Cass944

hmmm... from what i remember, the oil ring looks like this.

__________ top layer
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ middle layer
__________ bottom layer

i dont remember being able to mvoe the bottom and top layer seperately. maybe only some rings are like this though? im not sure. i do knwo that the one thats important that you shoudl actually worry about is the gap in the TOP layer. the gap in the top layer was about 180 degrees different from the gap in the BOTTOM layer on mine. I did the top ring facing one way. the second ring gap was 60 degrees clockwise, then the gap in the TOP layer of the oil ring was another 60 degrees clockwise.

StoogeMoe

On mine, the oil ring consisted of three parts, two rings and the squiggly part in between. I didn't count the squiggly part in my diagram because the gap doesn't ride on the cylinder walls. It is held in by the two oil rings.

____________________________________
1986 944 NA - Guards Red - 87k miles
1983 944 NA - Platinum metallic - awaiting new engine
1985.1 944 NA - Guards Red - donor car
1984 911 Carrera Coupe - Guards Red (gone, but not forgotten)
"If you're not living on the edge, you're not living"

Eyal 951

Semi - OT.
My honda motor is coming together, and the guy assembling the pistons into the block is having a hard time. He stoped by and showed me that the oil rings do not receed fully into the gap on the piston like the main rings do, and this is a problem. DO you guys know if they are supposed to stick out a bit or be fully receeded when they are compressed? I need to figure this out so i can get the short block fully assembled.

StoogeMoe

Well, I'm doing my pistons tonight. I think I'm going with option C.

My luck will be that after I do them, someone will come along and say Porsche says they must be done at some precise angle and if you deviate by one degree your engine will blow up within 500 miles.

____________________________________
1986 944 NA - Guards Red - 87k miles
1983 944 NA - Platinum metallic - awaiting new engine
1985.1 944 NA - Guards Red - donor car
1984 911 Carrera Coupe - Guards Red (gone, but not forgotten)
"If you're not living on the edge, you're not living"

2bridges

Eyal951 -
well the oil ring will protrude slightly as by design they keep the cylinder walls clean of excess oil.... however the "guy" assembling your motor should have no issue if using a propper piston ring compressor. If he is attempting assembly without a compressor I suggest finding a competant machinist to help you out.
One other possibility - you bought oversize rings and do not have oversive pistons. If this is the case STOP NOW and regroup.

StoogeMoe - no worries - not rocket science

Eyal 951

I appreciate the advice. The builder knows his stuff, though sometimes sounds unsure since he is always open to different views. He is a personal freind helping me out.
The pistons are max oversize available (.040, or 1mm over) and the rings are supposed to be as well. He is obviously using a ring compressor, but i have them at home now (he brought them by to show me) and hes right, they stick out to far. I think I'll looking at either a bad piston ring gap, rings that need to be ground with a ring grinder, or either pistons or rings are wrong. I think the rings will need to be ground. The pistons and rings are both brand new.

2bridges

Just one last tid-bit of info..... I can't say I am a honda expert (at all) but I have never heard of ANY oil rings that can be filed (fitted) to zero gap. This is frequently done with compression rings for a variety of ultra high performance and race stuff, but NOT oil rings.

Perry 951

Provided they are the correct rings, this is the right option. In my experience (not all that much in comparison to others) oversized rings sometimes run large on last oversize availible to help make up for any slop... at least with Mopar motors and factory oversized rings and pistons.