The ring groove has an index pin, examine the ring groove carefully and you will see it. The ends of the ring must overlap at the index pin. Then the taper at the bottom of the sleeve will compress the ring enough to slide it in the sleeve. I dip my finger in atf and cover the bottom of the sleeve, top of the piston and ring area with a light coating. This assembly oil helps things go together easily but the key is having the ring properly indexed or you will be spending another 17 bucks if you force it.