[IdahoDoug]

Hmm, I'm still not agreeing on the old rings. If a ring is properly sized from its install as new, it constantly rotates in operation. I'm not sure if it does full revolutions or what but the ring gaps are supposed to be maximally out of phase with each other so they don't line up as they all move. So I think new rings would be the best solution even for a slightly worn (oval) or tapered cylinder.

The new ring would just match the cylinder after breakin in the same way honing a conventional cylinder and ring breakin happens. Honing/deglazing does not resolve either of these cylinder wear issues, so I'd assume its an acceptable thing to put new rings in slightly worn cylinder shapes as the shop manuals give wear limits before a rebore and new rings is called for vs a hone/deglaze and new rings.

Yes, on ring breakin, I have a hill nearby I use. You want to be more aggressive than you'd think, with full accelerations and full high RPM coasting designed to very quickly cause the rings to flare out against the cylinder walls and get the break in process done. If you don't, and baby it, the cylinder walls can instead get slowly worn smooth - causing a glazing and the little ridges from honing that are supposed to get carved off will instead get folded over into the valleys. So now oil does not flow along open valleys, but the valleys have bridges and obstructions. It's a bit of a science, and a great way to learn some about it is to search for ball hone and read the company's website white papers. I can't recall their name but I'm a fan and have a few in my shop.

This is the same reason you should not do break in with slippery synthetic oil, but with conventional oil and some say straight weight as well.

OK-944, yes that's the theory on it. I still think you should find a pro to confirm but what you are describing is exactly right. It's important to know that breakin on a normal non Alusil block is for the cylinder walls, not for the rings from what I know. So if your cylinder walls don't need a freshly machined surface such as honing/deglazing creates, then logic follows that they're essentially "always ready for new rings." Ask a pro to confirm that, as logic is not always - well, logical? Heh.