reuse piston rings?

[mb7]

I have recently built a 426 motor with a ross racing piston. I am having head gasket problems so I think that I am going to get the HD studs. I will have to take the cylinder jug off and get a shop to install the studs for me. Is it going to be bad to use the same rings, or should I order some new ones?

[wilkin250r]

If you're going to do it, do it right.

Measure the bore and piston to determine you piston/bore clearance. Your repair manual should outline the procedure, but it's simple enough to figure out on your own. Inspect the piston to make sure it is reusable.

If you're within spec, have the shop hone the cylinder at the same time they install the studs, and order new rings. ALWAYS replace the rings whenever you remove the piston from the cylinder. Never, never, never reuse rings.

If you don't have the necessary equipment to properly measure piston/bore clearance yourself, then send your piston with your cylinder to the shop and have them measure and inspect it.

[mb7]

Yeah thats kinda what I was thinking. The motor only has a coulpe of hours on it since I built it. When I built it, I had it resleaved with the larger sleeve and honed. The shop had also measured all the tolerances... I tried using the 1 layer of the gasket and I think that was a mistake. It leaked the first time I rode it so I took the head back off and replaced that gasket with another 1 layer. Well that one started leaking too in the higher RPMS...

So I guess now. I am going to get the new HD studs, have the shop install them, check both surfaces of the head and jug, use the factory head gasket, re-ring the piston (it should be ok with only a couple of hours on it), put it all back together and pray :)

Also should you torque the nuts on the studs down tighter when using the HD ones?

[JabberJaw]

And ALWAYS use a fresh condom!

[AtvMxRider]

Originally posted by JabberJaw
And ALWAYS use a fresh condom!

[rneal]

If you just redid the top end, take the jug off without removing the piston. If you get it off without popping the piston out the cylinder there should be no need to replace the rings, any time the piston and rings are removed from the cylinder the rings should be replaced and the cylinder should be honed.

This is only if you have very low hours on the top end.