Piston Ring End Gap

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

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

NOTE: 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: Positioning Piston Ring In Cylinder Bore
Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
Use a feeler gauge to measure the top piston ring end gap and the second piston ring end gap.
- Refer to the appropriate ENGINE article for the procedure.
  
  Fig 2: Measuring Piston Ring End Gap
  Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.