i have been having problems with my piston rings and its keeping the pistons from going in without too much resistance... i narrowed the problem down to the oil rings but i didnt know what to do from there... i had my uncle who is a mechanic look at the engine. he said that the spacer for the oil rings was made wrong by the manufacturer because the metal for the spacer was too hard and that the oil rings couldnt compress it. so that was putting too much pressure on the cylinder walls. so...... is there a way i could temper the spacer rings or is there anywhere that will sell only the oil rings?

 

That makes no sense at all.

You do NOT want to "temper" the oil control spacer rings.
Assuming you have the right size rings for the bore, and the bore isn't too small (well, then you'd have trouble getting the pistons in) then it's fine. They do add considerable resistance.

 

You dont have file fit rings, do you? Personally, I haven't seen oil control rings so tight that you had to file them down...it's usually only the top two compression rings you have to file on- but I use the same rings all the time- JE Plasmamoly. As Sonix said, once you add two compression rings, two thin oil control rings and the spacer, you do gain some resistance...you're not going to be able to slide the piston up and down all *****-nilly like (make sure you coat the cylinder and all rings with oil before installing them, too). I would also check your bore size to piston o.d. You never know, maybe your block wasn't honed enough or you received the wrong pistons/rings???

 

they are the right rings and they all have the right gap... my uncle said that the 2 oil rings are supposed to compress the spacer but the spacer is too hard and is keeping the oil ring from doing that... i know that it would add some resistance but it is adding so much that you have to really pound on the piston to get it to go in and even with one piston in you cant get the engine to turn

 

as a professional automotive machinist, it sounds to me like it's not a ring problem, but a rod bearing problem. Stop and investigate.

 

i think they're might be some misunderstanding here, 2.8. Is the problem just when you try to rotate the engine, or is it upon piston/rod installion also. Because, like Atilla said, if the piston/rod goes in fine and then the rotating assembly won't turn, you have a bearing problem. Try to be a little more descriptive so we can better help you.

 

its installing the pistons. if i put the piston in with only the compression rings it goes in like any piston should with new rings but i tried to put it in with only the oil rings and it took way too much effort to get it to slide down the cylinder.... the piston will go into the cylinder its just that the oil rings are putting too much pressure on the cylinder walls. my uncle looked at it and he has been a mechanic for chrysler, ford, and now gm and he said that the oil ring spacers were manufactured wrong in that they are too hard and the oil control rings cant compress the spacer

 

then it's simple. try installing without rings. If that works, buy a different brand of rings