ORIGINAL: wsmalley
Short background: Used engine, no compression, wouldn't run. Replaced ring, 'honed' liner, put con rod and new piston in the same position as old. Engine ran fine for several runs of short duration ( 2-3 mins. each run, seemed very hot running to me); engine seized. Top portion of piston and ring broke. Got new piston, waiting on ring. Question: correct orientation of piston/ring gap to cylinder (piston has tiny pin to locate ring)? 'Original' location was on exhaust side toward front of engine. Also, new piston cast '3' inside, old piston '1'-what does that mean. Oh Yea! What should the ring gap be? If too tight how do you hone off the end? Thanks, Bill
I just put a new ring in a 61 also. This was someone else's engine so I'm not sure of whether or not it had been worked on before me. The location of the ring gap is where you describe it, exhaust side between the exhaust port and the front boost port. The number inside the piston is the casting position as several are cast from different molds or different positions in the mold and has no effect on the engine. Mine was a 4 and the replacement was a 3 just like yours. Can't answer the ring gap question but I've never had an issue with a factory replacement ring not working OK.
There is a copper head gasket between the head and the liner and if it wasn't there it would increase the compression and cause it to over heat. Also make sure when you install the ring you don't get the little indentation near the gap over the pin in the piston, just want the pin to seperate the ends.