[weirdbeard]

I need help. I finally got all the measuring tools I needed to figure out my ring end gap. Well I am horrified now because when I put the ring in the bore to start the process I see that the gap is about twice as big as what it should be! I did not file it yet at all.
I want my Harley back on the road.
Should I just go with this huge gap?
What are my options here?

[gregb]

You need to get a feeler gauge to measure that gap.

[weirdbeard]

I have feeler gauges, but the gap is like over a 32 of an inch. It looks like 2 hundredths on the caliper.
From my instructions the gap is suppose to be more like 17 thousandths.
Sorry about the bad pics.

[engineczar]

How did you square up the ring to the bore? It doesn't have to be off much to widen the gap.

[weirdbeard]

I used the piston to square it up.

[McLeay F1]

are you sure you have the right rings? that can happen, mis communication between you parts guy and parts book.

[weirdbeard]

I had the fella that bored out the cylinders get the rings for me. I figured he knew what to get. Thats what I paid him for.. I don't know that they are the right ones. How could I tell? They are Wiseco pistons and the rings are Wiseco 3497x 88.82mm My bore measures 3.5"

[boatbob2]

HI,one time i rebuilt a 12 HP Kohler engine,it was bored 20 oversize,and the rings that i ordered were standard.i didnt know any better. (about 35 years ago) so i put it together,and it pumped oil like mad.(past the rings) if youre ring gap is too big,yours will pump oil too.

[techinspector1]

88.82 mm converts to 3.4968 inches, only 0.0032" under 3.500". Does your cylinder bore measure EXACTLY 3.500"? What does the piston measure? What's the piston to wall clearance? I know what I'd do. I'd get all these measurements together and get on the horn with Wiseco....
http://www.wiseco.com/ContactUs.aspx

It looks to me like you don't have the ring far enough down in the bore to measure it properly. You need to push it down with the piston until the piston is in the bore far enough not to rock back and forth, then measure the gap with a set of feeler gauges.

[406 bug]

What is your piston to wall clearance. You may also have the wrong piston

[weirdbeard]

Ok let me check all that real quick.

[weirdbeard]

Ok the bore is right at 3.5" maybe 1 thousandth under.. The piston comes in at 3 and 48 hundredths. or 2 one hundredths less than the bore.

[weirdbeard]

Pushed the piston up from underneath to square the ring up, so it was all the way in the bore. These cylinders were bored out so they should be true all the way up and down.

[johnnya]

Quote:
"Ok the bore is right at 3.5" maybe 1 thousandth under.. The piston comes in at 3 and 48 hundredths. or 2 one hundredths less than the bore."
.
3.5" maybe 1 thousandth under = 3.499"
3 and 48 hundredths. or 2 one hundredths less than the bore = 3.480"
That's a difference of .019". That is way too much clearance for the pistons to the cylinder.
You say the unfiled ring gap is about "2 hundredths on the caliper" That's .020".
And you say the instructions say the gap should be .017"...There is no way to make the gap smaller.
Looks to me like you have the wrong pistons AND rings for the bore..

[techinspector1]

OK, you're saying that the bore is 3.500" and the piston is 3.480". That's 0.020" piston to wall and obviously ain't gonna work. Wrong piston, wrong rings.
Sorry johnny, I was typing while you were posting.