2.0L Piston Rings, How to.. Options

[orcadigital]

Due to some poor leak down numbers, mostly ring related, i was wondering what was entailed in replacing piston rings.

I have a cylinder hone and plan on honing the cylinders, then checking for taper or anything worrisome (i have 2 complete sets of pistons and cylinders, used but no scarring or any visible damage), then installing new rings. I am wondering what concerns or things i should check.

Also, as car as a ring compressor. I have a band type, but usually you put it on, then lightly hammer the piston into the cylinder. As this setup is a tad different (the sleeve slides over the piston), is there anything i need to worry about?

I am in a bit of a time crunch, thus i am going this way, while i build up an engine that i can swap in later in the year, which will have new P's and C's.

Thanks!

[So.Cal.914]

You can use your ring compressor with the piston on the rod. They have a release,

Just put it over your piston rings and tap the jug on (I use a small piece of 2X4

and a rubber mallet) just past the rings. Then release the compressor and pull it

out from behind the jug. Tap the jug into place, I used them many times.

[orcadigital]

Thanks for all the responses!

Jake, I definately agree, and the only reason i am doing this is to have a car going in 2 weeks. I have 2 other blocks that are waiting for attention, and will be treated with new parts and gone through properly. I ran my parts car at the last autoX, which while interesting (and i did win my class) is not something i want to run on the track.

Brant, Nope, not fatal at all. It looked bad by the sparkplug, but really wasnt. The head developed 2 cracks at the spark plug hole on #3, but being the cylinder it was, tended to seem worse then it was. I have a good set of heads (just gone through professionally, and new valve job) ready to bolt on, but i wanted to attempt to fix a little bit of my leakdown numbers. I was the worst on #2, and 3 wouldnt read with the cracks around the hole.

The question is, and keeping in mind this is an engine to last 6 months tops, should i hone all 4, and rering them? Or just swap in a matched jug and piston on the 2 questionable cylinders (from another engine with fairly low mileage) and bolt it back together?

I was actually contemplating swapping in the 1.7 from my parts car, but then i lose my daily driver, and with $3+ a gallon gas, i dont want to go back to my truck for my 40 mile each way commute.

Any colorado folks coming to La Junta May 19th?

Grant

[TROJANMAN]

Any colorado folks coming to La Junta May 19th?
Grant

unlikely. Probably Pueblo in June