Piston Ring End Gap

CAUTION: Use care when fitting piston rings to avoid possible damage to the piston ring or the cylinder bore.

NOTE: Piston rings should not be transferred from one piston to another.

NOTE: Refer to the appropriate ENGINE article for the specification.

NOTE: The cylinder bore must be within specification for taper and out-of-round.

Use a piston without rings to push a piston ring in a cylinder to the bottom of ring travel.

Fig 1: Pushing Piston Ring In Cylinder To Bottom Of Ring Travel

Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.

Use a feeler gauge to measure the top piston ring end gap and the second piston ring end gap.

Fig 2: Measuring Piston Ring End Gap

Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.