2000 CR250 top end - rings in upside down?

[jasonboche]

I just did a top end on my 2000 CR250 which has 2 rings. I wasn't aware of an "upside down" or "right side up" position with the rings. I just put them in. The bike seems to run fine now as I break ni the new top end and I don't recall anything stamped on the rings that I recently installed that would tell me "this side up".

I called my local Honda shop and to my dismay, they said that on my bike, there is a right way and a wrong way to put the rings in. The rings are stamped with a dot or a letter that is hard to see. He also said that when I start it up I may not notice anything wrong but that a ring could catch on a port.

I don't know if I should roll the dice and ride it or spend the time tearing the thing down again. It's cold here right now in Minnesota so it's a pain to work on, but district racing is supposed to start this weekend.

I've got about 15 minutes on the new piston/ring and I would think that if anything were to go wrong, it would have happened by now. There is a chance 25% chance that I put both rings in correctly and I'd really like to avoid the teardown. :ugg:

 

[dirt bike dave]

Tear it down. Your labor is cheap, and you will have no peace of mind if you run it like it is.

 

[jasonboche]

You are right.

I have already decided it will get torn down tonight - in the cold dark garage :(

Others have told me that if the rings are in wrong, they could hook a port or simply not wear right.

I knew what the answer was, I just didn't want to do it

Thank you for the reply!