Piston Ring Installations (Wet or Dry??)

Im rebuilding a dodge 318 and I was just curious as to how some of you install the rings and pistons into the bore on a fresh rebuild. I normally coat the the cylinder wall with a light coat of oil from a soaked towel, put oil in the oil rings and a few drops on the 1st and 2nd ring and spin them around to that nothing starts bone dry. Am I doing this right or is there better options or methods to ring installations?

 

Sounds about right to me..

 

I knew a guy that dunked them in a coffee can filled with oil...but I do a light coat on the walls and a drop on the rings myself.....

 

I've always lightly coated the cylinder walls with oil to facilitate the piston being installed and also to keep the walls from rusting until I get around to firing the motor up. I have heard some people say they install them dry, but not sure what you do to keep rust off of the walls if you do that. I figure the walls are going to get oily anyway once you do fire it up, so it can't make seating of the rings any worse to install them with some oil on them initially.

It is probably like every other aspect of hot rodding, you have your opinion and I have mine and somehow they all seem to work ok.


Don

 

Yeah I see what your saying and that why I do it too. But does this effect the break-in of the rings and how well the seat to the cylinder wall?

 

I use Ackery & Childs assembly oil (burns clean on fire up), or just motor oil on the rings. I get em pretty wet. Then that red sticky synthetic on the skirts. Also, very important not to forget a Zinc supplement in your oil pan to protect the cam during break-in on your new motor. Very important

 

As mentioned above.... I dip the pistons and rings in a coffee can with oil so everything gets lubed up... Including the wrist pins... The thought of firing up a fresh motor with no oil in the pin bores makes me want to cringe..

 

I built engines for a number of years, from industrial engines and motorcycles to street and race cars. I always heavily oiled the rings when installing and never saw any ill effects. The only engine I ever had to re-do was one that owner installed with bad radiator hose and knowingly continued driving after the hose failed.

On the other hand; a machinist/engine builder friend of mine, who has been involved in some well known and sucessful race teams, says putting any oil on the ring grooves is bad.

As happens so many times on the internet, you can find whatever answer you like.

 

A coffee can full of oil and I dip mine.

But your ways sounds as though it would work as well as mine. My way may be overkill.

 

Me to, the old dip and drip. Clean up the mess after the short block is togeather.

 

oil ... pin too.

 

My pop liked to use STP motor treatment. STP is like a very viscous oil.
I prefer to use plenty of 10w30 oil.

 

And another little tip.....the wrist pins are about the last thing to see any oil, so I like to turn the piston upside down and dribble some light engine oil on the pin/pin bore area and work the piston back and forth on the rod a bit before I stuff the piston/rod assy in the hole.

Also, I dunk the whole piston ring area in oil before it goes in the bore.

Good luck and don't forget to clock your ring gaps before you scrunch 'em down in the compressor....

-Abone.

 

some oil here also. Had an old WWII Navy engine builder talk about back when there was only iron rings & they knew the engine wasn't going to sit they'd spray a little water in the bores so a little rust would set the rings faster. Some old ways aren't recommended!

 

I pour some oil down one side of the cylinder then work it all around with my hand. I'm sure i put too much but the rings are gonna wipe it down anyway. Just want to make sure the skirts are well oiled. Then I oil the wrist pin, rock the piston while sliding it back and forth on the pin. Hold the rings against the piston on one side then squirt oil under the rings into the groves on the other side. Spin the rings around some Then space the rings like I like em and put the squeeze on them with the ring compressor. It gotten to be a routine and sometimes I do it without thinking about it and Ive have had to pull pistons back out to check the rings and theyre always ok

 

Like a few other guys said, HEAVILY coat piston, rings, and cyl with oil. It won't hurt a thing, it will be gone in the first couple minutes after regular lubrication takes over. By the way, an engine more than likely will not even start if it isn't oiled. No compression. I have seen this. Fresh rebuild would not fire, ran down a fresh battery trying to start it. Problem easily solved by squirting 4-5 pumps of oil in each cylinder. Fired right up!

 

I wipe the bores with atf until clean then oil the pin only. Havnt had any problems at all. FED

 

I always lightly coated them with oil first,Except once I put a ford 302 motor together dry.On start up I burned out 3 solenoids,Damn thing was to dry,Anyway had a friend come over and we wd40 the thing ,so on the 3rd solenoid It finally fired up and was fine,Never again will I put together a motor completely dry....................This is a true story of a 40 over 302 and 3 solenoids at 15 a pop I dont want you guys to think Im an idiot I always coat the bearings

 

WTF?

 

Basically never install rings dry ..................

 

I didn't realize that we knew each other. I've done that for the past 50 years and one reason is that it also lubes the wrist pin so you don't have troubles with it. When the short block is together I wipe the exces oil off the tops of the pistons before putting the heads on.

 

Lots of oil! coat the cylinders and squirt some on the rings. never dry.

 

I oil the pins and the cylinder walls, wipe the compression rings and skirts with an oily rag just enough that they don't look dry and that's it.

If you prelube the engine before you fire it up, it'll be throwing enough oil around to keep things lubed when you fire it up.
Larry T

 

me I use Lubraplate on everything that moves on anything else. once the engine is assymbled I squirt some oil on top of the pistons and fire it up. always pre prime and use zink additive and non detergent oil... let it run just long enough to set the timing then let it cool. Refire the engine and run at around 1800 for 1/2 hour. let it cool and retorque the heads... Drive the snot out of it for 500 miles and change the oil and filter.. switch to mobile One 15w40 and Z-MAX oil treatment from then on....Done

 

Thanks for all your replies. I also oil all the rings, pins, skirts and walls. I guess i have been doing right all this time.

 

All great advice here, plus with todays oil dont forget a good zinc additive.

 

I always oil the rings and cylinder wall. New parts have to get to know each other. You want a long term relationship. Not a one night stand.

 

Although STP was marketed otherwise, motor oil is a better lubricant than STP.

Lubriplate makes a lot of different products. If you are talking about the traditional white grease that was commonly used on door latches, compared to oil it's not a very good lubricant. At one time many used it for engine assy lube and got away with it, but either oil or a good assy lube are much better choices.

Some also like to use chassis grease for assy and priming oil pumps. The one of several reason for not doing that is that is; chassis grease and motor oil are not compatible. Although you wouldn't want to use it as an assy lube, I have seen a couple cases where manufacturers recomended using petroleum jelly(Vaseline) for priming oil pumps, and in one case specifically advised against using chassis grease.

 

Easy on the re-torque. That advice on the wrong motor could turn out bad.

 

I wonder why he would think this ?
Just curious.