TOPIC:

i always have used atf when installing pistons in any and all engines that i have built. no problems at all ever. it burns off very fast. i would recomend atf, but have heard of many other oils that people have used.

i would say that as long as you aren't putting them in dry that would be all that matters.

willow46:check pm;)

First thing i would do is wash the cylinder walls
down with a good soapy detergent. If you do not do this there is bits of fine metal material that could get inside the rings and cause them to sieze up
around the pistons. I had this happen and it leaves you puzzled when you pull the cylinders off and the rings have no spring to them. as for a machine shop
i used a car guy, he bored out 900 to 1015
for half what the motorcycle guys wanted, and have not had a problem i think it depends on the machinist.

The shop that did my engine machining said "No oil when installing pistons". I use hose clamps and thin gauge metal to make ring compressors.

Rom check pm:whistle:

An update on this. I decided to go with the WD40, cleaned the cylinders real well and wiped the cylinders out with a little WD40. I didn't put any oil on the pistons except for the oily fingerprints.

It started up GREAT but after a couple of minutes I got a bit freaked when it started smoking blue out the exhaust, just clouds of it. Shut it down, thought about it a bit and figured probably I needed to run it a little bit. Anyway, I started it up several more times over the next couple of days. Each time it seemed it would start to smoke a little after it warmed up, but it was getting less all the time. I rode to work today to give it a few miles on the road and I didn't see it smoking AT ALL when I got to work.

Will keep an eye on it the next few weeks, and see how it goes, but very encouraged. I misplaced one of my mirrors though somewhere in the garage, always something, maybe the dog ate it...

Thanks for all the suggestions and encouragement.