Inliners International Forums General Discussion Engines Back form the machinist

I just got my 235 block back from the machinist. Had it decked and bored .030 over crankshaft was ground to .010 under.
Now the fun begins. This is my first rebuild and I'm looking forward to getting it back up and running.

I do have a couple of questions. My fel-pro gasket set has both the rope type rear main seal and an orange rubber rear main seal. Can I use either one? Is one eaiser to install than the other? Which would give a better more reliable seal?

My ring set has black rings and silver rings, Which ones are the top rings?

Thanks.

around '55 or earlier you should stay with the rope seal. the factory machine work in this area left alot to be desired & the neoprene seal often times won't seal. on the later engines the neoprene seal works well, most of the time. contact becks machine ( there's a link on this site ) if you have problems. they have a way of machining the block & bearing cap for a full circle seal. they'll even tell you how to get it done at a shop in your locale. hope this helps.
robert.

The silver stainless steel rings with a honeycomb center are your oil control rings and the others are compression rings. Follow your shop manual for correct installation of the rings.

Thanks for the replys...
It is a 1955 second series so I will use the rope seal.
The silver rings I was takling about are chrome plated compression rings....I found out they go at the top.
Thanks again.

Rusty be sure you pay close attention to the rings when you install them. They have a top and a bottom side. Most ring sets will have a small dot or tiny dimple to distiguish the top from the bottom. Your 2 upper compression rings should be marked this way. If the 2 thin oil scraper rings that go in the bottom groove are not marked for a top or bottom ( most are not ) then they can go in either way. The instructions that came with the ring set should point this out.

Upper rings have a slight chamfer on the piston groove side so that cylinder pressure will keep the rings out tight against the cylinder walls. That is why they must be installed correctly.