The first step in this process is to totally disassemble ...

This is an important step. If the ring gap is too tight, rings will butt when hot and damage the cylinder and piston. Ring gap should be 0.004” - 0.050” for pistons without pinned rings and 0.051” – 0.091” for pistons with pinned rings. A gap in the middle to high end of the spec is probably best here and has been proven not to hinder ... ................
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