Broke new piston ring...help.

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1963dartgt

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While installing rings on my new pistons i guess i spread the second ring too far and snapped it in half. My problem is i have a set of hastings rings and while they offer a set for a single piston they are out of stock for the next 2 months. My question is can i use a different brand on one piston. Or should i suck it up and buy another whole set?
 
I've been with my parts guy over 40 yrs, and I'd tell him exactly the truth, ask him if you can order a whole new set of rings to replace the one you broke, order a single piston ring set, and return the complete second set when the single ring set arrives.
You'll pay restocking charge.
If not, sell the second set here.
I have done similar, but I have spent a lotta $$$ there.
Good luck .
 
Thats the thing ill pay for the cheap set if brand doesnt matter. It was a teaching moment for my boy and i spread it a little to far and snapped the second ring on the last piston i was doing. Id rather keep most of the quality set on the pistons
 
Thats the thing ill pay for the cheap set if brand doesnt matter. It was a teaching moment for my boy and i spread it a little to far and snapped the second ring on the last piston i was doing. Id rather keep most of the quality set on the pistons

MY crystal ball isnt working , what size rings u wanting ??
 
I have several partial sets of rings. I will have to look and see if I have .040 oversize. Do you need a plain cast ring or a premium molly ring? I wouldn't worry about a different brand ring on one piston as long as you use all 3 rings from the same brand.

EDIT: Sorry, can't help. I have .020, .030, .060 open sets, but no .040
 
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I have several partial sets of rings. I will have to look and see if I have .040 oversize. Do you need a plain cast ring or a premium molly ring? I wouldn't worry about a different brand ring on one piston as long as you use all 3 rings from the same brand.

EDIT: Sorry, can't help. I have .020, .030, .060 open sets, but no .040
Thanks Charrlie and everyone else, ill buy the engine tech set and use the set on the one piston. Maybe ill write down which one and we can see the longevity of USA rings vs China rings on my next teardown.
 
More rings are broken by those crap spreader tools than anything else. Just roll them on like a real man. Extra points for installing pistons without a ring compressor. I build lots of engines of all sizes from small 2 strokes to big V8's and everything in between. I don't own a ring spreader or compressor of any size!
 
More rings are broken by those crap spreader tools than anything else. Just roll them on like a real man. Extra points for installing pistons without a ring compressor. I build lots of engines of all sizes from small 2 strokes to big V8's and everything in between. I don't own a ring spreader or compressor of any size!
X2 but I even managed to break one ring on my last build, by rolling them on.
Got in a hurry to finish, just ordered a new set, filed the one ring to fit and moved on.
 
Thanks everyone. This will only be my 4th rebuild,my first one was for my senior project in high school 15 years ago and still on the road chugging along the other two were sold off. But one question, how do you install without a ring compressor? I have one but its a cheapo band one.
 
Start the ring in the land and roll it around. Start at the bottom and work your way up. Try not to "flex" the ring, just spiral it on down into the land. If you're buying a full set of extra rings you'll have plenty to practice with!
 
Thanks everyone. This will only be my 4th rebuild,my first one was for my senior project in high school 15 years ago and still on the road chugging along the other two were sold off. But one question, how do you install without a ring compressor? I have one but its a cheapo band one.
Buy one like this, in the bore size of your engine.
It was the best thing I ever bought, compared to the cheap finger cutting band ones.

Summit Racing® Adjustable Piston Ring Compressors SME-90A3900
 
Same thing happened to me a few weeks ago with a 2nd ring, on the last piston, if it makes you feel any better. For what it's worth, if you're using moly rings, you can get a set of non-moly ones because the 2nd ring is the same anyway. I'd send you one of the 5 extras I now have, but they are 0.030" over.
 
I bought an enginetech moly set which suprisingly is made in USA. Now ive got a full set minus one ring. Now just waiting on a day off to get done and hopefully installed.
 
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