Morris Minor Owners Club

1098 engine. Reground crankshaft and have just fitted main bearings etc. All fine.
Fitted new (STN) piston rings to old pistons and just fitted each piston into the honed and cleaned block. Bid ends and main all seem fine, but the pistons seem quite tight to me - took one of them out and rechecked a ring size about 2" down the bore and the gap is approx 8 thou.

I can turn the crank over but it seems quite tight to me as the pistons move up and down the bore. Any thoughts, or does this seem normal as the rings are new? Any comments welcome.
Thanks.

Seems normal enough - as long as there is a gap - did you clean out the ring grooves -and have you oiled the bores? As long as it can turn by hand doesn't sound like anything wrong to me !
With all that work I hope you are also fitting a new oil pump - and a timing chain. And - are the camshaft followers in good order ?

Cleaned out the ring grooves, oiled the bores and have a new oil pump ready to fit - plus new timing chain also. Both camshaft and cam followers look OK.
Appreciate your comments and hope that it will loosen up one its had a chance to run for a while.

Just make sure there is no step at the top of each bore or it will smash the top ring.

Any slight steps were cleared/smoothed out when I honed the bores.
Fingers crossed ...

It will be fine !