just wonderinng if anyone has any suggestions on how ring end gaps should be set on a 350-meaning how should they be staggered, which way should they face, etc.

 

There are different ways people like to do it the way ive always arranged them is. looking down at the piston with the side of the piston that faces the front of the block pointing to the left:

Top compression ring gap at the 3:00 position

Second compression ring gap between the 7 and 8 oclock position

oil ring gaps (both) at the between the 10 and 11 oclock position

the oil ring spacer gap anywhere between 1 and 2 oclock to 4 and 5 oclock

Now its also important to remeber some rings have a top and bottom side but the directions will tell you and usually denote one side with a little mark. Make sure that the gaps themselves have proper clearance as well. Also a good cylinder hone atleast is required for a good seal.

 

okay, so your saying as If I am standing alongside the block, with the front of the block on my left, look at the piston straight on from that position,12:00 being the other bank on the engine? just trying to clear it up a bit for my own understanding

 

Just put them in. They are going to rotate as the engine runs, so however you put them now, they will change as soon as you fire up the engine.
Just make sure the "top" is facing up. Moly faced rings, etc, the "top" is important, and not typically marked. Look for the bevel on the inside of the rings. Typically faces UP IIRC.... (but depends on the ring manufacturer....)

 

No with the pistons out looking at them strait of with the front of the piston pointing to your left if you want to look at it from the perspective of the pistons in the motor what i said earlier will only apply to the driver side cylinders. So like 12:00 on a drivers side piston refers to the top of the piston or 3:00 refers to the right side of the piston. The passanger side cylinders will be opposite of the driverside because now the front of your motor is to your right. So what was the for the driver side 3:00 is now 9:00 passenger side what was 12:00 is now 6:00. If it would make it clearer you can PM me your email address and ill try and scan out the page that has a clear diagram of how the end gaps need to be layed out. Although when the pistons are out to do the rings there will be a notch in the piston indicateing which side points twords the front of the motor if u use that as a reference and point that so its facing your left and follow the directions i gave earlier things will be much simpler.

 

Rings should never rotate as the pistons moves up and down in the cylinder.

Ring gap position on the piston also depends which side of the block you're on. The ring gaps are positioned the same on all the pistons. The engine rotates counterclockwise. The rings are positioned based on the compression thrust on the rods.

On the driver's side, the rods are thrust downwards in relation to the crank centerline. On the passenger side, they're thrust upwards.

The top ring should have the gap away from the thrust side. This means when looking at the engine with the pistons installed, the gap on the top ring of all the pistons should point to the passenger's side. The second compression ring is 180* so it's on the other side of the piston. Oil control rings are about 45* on either side of the second ring gap. The oil ring spacer (scraper) is under the top ring gap anywhere 45* to either side of it.

All rings in all engines are installed the same way unless you have some weird reverse rotation engine.

 

Pretty much by the book there! If the rings move and start lining up there will be some bad problems there.