im putting together my bottom end and im having trouble identifying between the first and second ring. The rings i purchased are hastings. The completly black ring has a bevel and a dot on it, the chrome moly ring doesnt have any special features to it. Both of the rings are in between .010 to .020 ring end gap.

so which ring goes where, is the ring with the bevel the wiper or compression ring?

 

The iron ring goes in the center with the dot facing upward.
I'm just about completely sure of that, but I'll have to locate my instructions to be sure.
I'll post again If I'm incorrect about that.

 

should say on the box which is which and what direction is up, or down

 

The top ring is shiny on the OUTSIDE edge, with dot up.

The 2nd ring is dull and flat, with the dot up.

Hastings + SRP makes 99.9% of all rings for all mfgs. The other ring companies just coat them (sometimes).


-- Joe

 

there is no dot on the ring with a shiny outside edge, there is only a dot on the ring with a bevel (iron ring), hastings instructions says to install them with the dots up and thats it.

 

Gotta be a dot or the word "TOP" on one side. Ring mfrs. never leave it to chance that you will correctly orient the slightly beveled side correctly by eye.

 

If there isn't a bevel and there isn't a dot, then that would mean it doesn't matter which side goes up for the top ring.
I have some that are like that and the top rings are symmetrical top to bottom.

 

Those rings are not reverse twist then. I.e, junk stock replacement.

-- Joe

 

I just installed a set of hasting rings on my 383 pistons. The Dark, dull one is the 2nd ring and the shiny one is the top ring. I also noticed that the shiny one had no dots, but the dull one has a dot install with dot facing up.