Me and a friend were assembling a motor and when he put the pistons in and had the top 2 ring gaps 180 degrees apart and in line with the piston pin and the lower 2 ring gaps 180 degrees apart and perpendicular to the piston pin. After installing the head, he realized the error. The crank is not in yet, we can move the pistons up and down, but the head is bolted on and all valvetrain installed. Is this a huge problem? Can we spin the pistons around and get the gaps to move around a little? Any ideas?

 

If anything, the rings will stay in place and only the piston will move, but you'll never know if a ring gets snagged and moved along with the piston and how much.

Take the pistons out and move the rings. It's not that hard.

 

What is wrong with that setup? THe SRP pistons I just bought said to install them very similarly to that. THey had the top ring gap at 12 o'clock, the 2nd ring gap at 6 and the oil rings were located at @10/9/8 o'clock. The wrist pin here would be faceing from 9 to 3. I hope this isn't very wrong, my pistons are in already and the engien is all buttoned up.

 

Generally speaking, you don't want the top or second rings to be along the main thrust axes b/c they receive the bulk of the rotational forces thrusting the rings against the bores.

 

So the ends of the rings will dig into the sleeve, or rings will crack? I'm gona take her apart and get it right. Just curious what will happen in that situation.

 

I'm still unsure about all the theories and practices of cylinder ring clocking and positioning. People have said that they'll rotate anyways, so why bother, but if you don't fully understand the principles at work like I don't, then you should do things by the book. The Book says to keep them off the thrust axes and 180 degrees of separation b/w each ring gap.