Re: Dry piston/liner assembly?!?

["Peter L. Krause" <pkrause@domain.elided>]

Wow Tom,

I have a great deal of respect for your experience but cannot endorse your
idea of assembling piston/rings DRY into new liners. I have repaired
numerous customer engines assembled that same way, to "accelerate" break in,
the scuffing and discoloration on the piston skirt and damage to the ring
lands being the most obvious evidence.

 The way I do it (for paying customers AND myself) is to place enough oil
behind the ring lands through the gap to insure freedom of movement and put
a moderate film of oil all over the piston/bore contact area. Then, wipe
down the inside of the bore with a clean lint-free cloth soaked in motor oil
and assemble. No problems, no scuffing, no damage, NO comebacks!

Hastings rings, especially the cast-iron variants, wear in quickly but also
wear out quickly. I've replaced over three dozen sets on my Fiat twin cam
race engine. I prefer the factory one-piece Borgo oil rings and Total Seal
gapless for the top and second ring on the five dozen or so competition
engines we've built in the last seven years. I don't care for Deves at
all...

-Peter Krause
www.krauseandengland.com
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