At Hastings Manufacturing, we know piston rings, and we want to pass that knowledge on to you. In this video we’re going to cover the installation of Compression rings.

While the compression rings might appear similar to other rings, there are subtle design differences, which dictate how the ring is to be installed. Not only must the ring be installed with the correct side toward the top of the piston, it is also imperative that the ring be installed in the proper groove.

Rings installed in the wrong groove or wrong side up may lead to excessive oil pumping, excessive blow-by, and in some cases, may completely dry up the bore, causing ring and cylinder scuffing as well as accelerated wear.

When you open the box, you will see that each section is labeled with a 1, 2 or 3. For the compression rings, the slot marked 1 is the top ring and 2 is the second ring.

Lay the rings out in groups of top rings and second rings.

With the oil control rings loaded on the piston, use a proper ring installation tool to open the second groove rings with the top mark facing up. Only open the ring enough to allow it to go over the top diameter of the piston. Work the opened ring down from the top of the piston to the second groove. Place the ring squarely into the piston groove, taking care to keep it flat. Release the tension of the ring installer tool – the ring is now installed.

Once the piston rings are on the piston, stagger the end gaps. It is important that the ring end gaps are NOT lined up. This prevents oil flow past the rings.

Thanks for watching. We hope this video was helpful. Feel free to leave a comment. And be sure to watch our other Tough Guy Tech Tip videos to learn more.