[dartnmartn]

Got my '72 CL175 fired up the other day. Recent barn find. 3500 miles.
Once I got it running I found it had a substantial leak at the cylinder base gasket.
I pulled the motor, Popped off the head and cylinder.
Here's the question...

The left piston has a different looking bottom ring than the right piston.

Left ring looks like a double ring, with a normal size ring gap.

Right ring has what looks like a 3 piece sandwich with the center being able to rotate around the piston independent of the (2) thin rings. The center looks like a bunch of little windows. Probably the wavy oil ring thing. No big ring gap either!

Don't know any history on the bike. The bores both look fine. The bores and piston sizes appear to be the same.

Could it be that Honda put it together with different ring designs? Or did earlier owner have this thing apart and put it back together with dis-similar rings.
Do I just put it back together as is? Or do I buy new rings. The plan is to race around Lake Erie on the thing (600+ miles pretty much wide open...)
I was counting on Honda engineering to get me through on this one. (don't really care if I win either!)
I'm trying not to think like a racer on this one cuz then I'll end up replacing every bit on the whole bike!

Thanks for your input!

Dartin

 

[66Sprint]

The "old style"oil rings were one piece with dual wiping edges......The modern replacements are two thinner rings separated by a "zig-zag" spacer......Both types work fine, and are theoretically equivalent....
Now that you have it apart, you should measure/fit new rings and hone the bore lightly....If the pistons are still in good shape and within spec.....If pistons are too worn/too small, or bore too big, it's overbore time once you obtain the replacement parts....Take everything to the machinist and have him fit them to specs....