Piston rings is he Honda manual wrong?

[Nige1100s]

Just had my engine rebored and was checking the manual. Which contradicts itself. It says the second ring has a chamfer and the top doesn't. It also says the top Is chrome and the second and oil control ring are parkerised (black).

So here's the problem the chrome one is chamfered and the parkerised one isn't. They are original honda rings and the second set I've seen like it.

My rebore guy says if there is a chrome ring it's away stop so I think I will go that way.

Any thoughts.?

Nige

[Colorado66]

I had the same issue when replacing my rings recently.
Was confused by the chrome vs. parkerized so I followed the below illustration putting the chamfer in the middle position.
Hope I did it right.

[Nige1100s]

Thanks

I put new rings in a few years ago and put the chamfered ring in the top. The next day I found the manual online and swapped the top and second like the manual in the diagram. After what he rebore guy said I have checked lots of other engine manuals and sure enough if they have a chrome faced ring it's always in the top groove. So hats how I put them in last night, hoping to get the engine in and the bike back on the road today.

Nige

[ByTheLake]

I did the same as Doug - I put the ring with the chamfer in the middle position, per the manual's illustration. I don't recall any significant difference in color between the rings.

[VegeKev]

Any chance that you took a photo of the chamfered chromed ring?
Never seen one but I'd like to see...

[ByTheLake]

Originally Posted by VegeKev

Any chance that you took a photo of the chamfered chromed ring?
Never seen one but I'd like to see...

I grabbed the ol' digital microscope to take some pictures - maybe it'll help. The rings aren't as smooth as you'd expect, once they are under magnification.

Top Ring:


2nd Ring (chamfered):


Bottom Ring (oil control):

[Nige1100s]

Thanks for the interest.
This is a spare set of rings, genuine honda the top and middle are the same but the oil control is a bit different. You will see that the shiny one is bevelled top and bottom and the middle rectangular and parkerised. The oil ring is shiny on the ring face where the set I used was parkerised. I followed the view that chrome rings always go in the top.

The bike is back together now after a botched rebore. The guy left it way too tight at 0.8 thou and it lost power over 30 or on hills. I got home and pulled the oil filter which had lovely shiny bits in it. I pulled the engine out cleaned up the scuffed pistons and got the guy to hone it out further. Running well now and I've got enough bits left over to make a reasonable spare engine.