ring end gap to big, problem?

[3.0 GT]

had the bllock at the machine shop and all it needed was to be honed for new pistons(was previously bored .020 over and still in spec). all the bores mic at around 3.287 to 3.289. well im putting probe pistons in and it comes with the rings. on the box of rings it says bore of 3.287. well the ring end gaps measure like this...
top 2nd
1 .020 .027
2 .021 .024
3 .022 .026
4 .021 .025
5 .021 .025
6 .021 .026
according to the instructions with the rings it says top ring shoud be at .018 and 2nd .011. according to Dowards post the top should be around .018 top and .020 2nd for a 450-500whp build. what should i do?

also everyone on here says the top ring gap should be smalle than the 2nd ring but the instructions say the other way around. weird.

 

[3.0 GT]

bump for some help

 

[speedfreak]

i'm not a pro but my machinist told me bigger gaps are generaly for higher hp. looks like you will need lots of boost! he he. I was aiming for a similar hp range with the same pistons and i believe i had mine gapped to .016-.017 which is a little larger than probes formula: http://www.probeindustries.com/Articles.asp?ID=141#faq10 3.28700 x .004 = 0.013148" I broke one of my second rings and had to order a new set which NPR only sells in packs of four booooo! i still have the four brand new npr N50 1st rings for probes .020" over ill sell them for $25 +shipping the whole set is $72 before shipping which you still might have to buy still as i have only four, or someone else might have 2 more if your lucky.

 

[quake]

top.022


second .026

 

[IJ.]

Old school USED to be that 2nd gap was smaller, new thinking is that this contributes to ring flutter as anything that leaks past #1 ring then gets trapped between the rings so now it's 2nd bigger so it can vent.

My Father taught me way back in 1976 that you aim for 4 thou of gap per inch of bore diameter (used to be 3 per for 2nd but is now 5)

If I'm building a high output engine ie Turbo/Blown/Nitrous I add 4 thou to the total, so for instance taking your +20 7M for example you have a 3.267" bore stock + 20 so 3.287" and this gives 13 thou top ring and and 17 2nd (rounded up to a whole number) add +4 to these for 17 thou top and 21 thou 2nd.

 

[3.0 GT]

damnit. well should i send thes rings back to driftmotion and get some .040 rings and file them to fit?i dont want a shitty oil drinker.