Rings?

[quadman21]

Hey guys, i just got done putting a head gasket on my 440. ( I know about the studs pulling but I fixed it) My problem is that is started smoking a little after a few hours. Not a real lot, but enough to notice. It is constant but more so when you rev it up and let off the gas. What i done was put my old piston and rings from another piston which had fewer hours on them back into my quad. My bore was smooth and had no defects so I did not hone it or thought it would be a problem. Would a hone and a new set of rings solve this little problem? I'm not a rookie when it comes to working on the top end of my quad, it's just that I'm so frustrated with this 440. I have had it in now since january and it's been one thing after another. Some my own neglegence and some bad luck. Murphy's law i guess. but if you guys can give me your thoughts i would apprecite it!

[oynot400]

Did you put in new valve seals? That is one possiblity that or the oil ring got messed up when you installed the jug. I have seen 2 motors that have had that problem. :(

[quadman21]

You know, I just realized a common sense issue. I put in piston and rings I already had, that had seated to my old cylinder which had only 15hrs into my current cylinder without honing. So basicaly I think I figured out what I have to do and where I went wrong. . Get my cylinder honed and a new set of rings. But what about a piston? Will everything be fresh with just the cylinder honed and new rings? Or should i get the piston too? The reason I ask about the piston is because it doesn't actually "seat" like rings do...does it?

[oynot400]

I hope that the old set of rings you are talking about are not the stock rings. If they are for the larger piston check to make sure there is not a sharp edge on the rings. It is a good idea to hone the cylinder when you do it. The hone marks help hold the oil to cylinder walls that lube the piston skirt. Check the piston, if there is no sign of scoreing and everything else looks good. Then I would say it is ok to use the old piston. Granted it is not the stock piston in the over bore sleeve.
Hope this helps....;)

[quadman21]

Oh no! they're for the 89mm piston. In Fact, all I done was put the piston and rings out of my old cylinder into the one I have now. You see, I had the problem of my cylinder studs stripping causing the popular head gasket problem with 440s. I fixed it by buying a whole new cylinder before I new of TC's oversized studs. Basically when i installed the studs into my new cylinder it was a "virgin" install. So you didn't have someone removing the factory torqued studs and re-installing them which causses cross-threading and such. So anyway, I had a cylinder with a piston and rings. But what happened is I ran my quad out of oil and blistered my head gasket. ( i had a fiber gasket) So when I replaced my head gasket I replaced my piston and rings with my old set figuring it had less hours on them. But I never stopped to think that they were already seated to my old cylinder. Stupid on my part. So will i be ok if i just hone the cylinder and get a new set of rings? I'm thinking I will but need your guys' advice. FYI luckily evrything else is fine from running it out of oil.