[Walt Fricke]

Putting the rings into the grooves they came from makes sense to me. But don't get too worried about where the gaps were.

With the oil rings which have a gap just like the other, thinner, rings, I put the gap to the very top (as the engine sits in the car. I space the 1st and 2d rings out so their gaps are by the wrist pin, of a bit below, and on opposite sides. Doesn't matter. The rings are going to rotate some over time anyway. But you have given combustion chamber air, and crank case oil, the most tortuous path to get where you don't want them to start with.

Those cylinders look just great as they are, so I'd just clean with paper towel to remove the old oil. I am in the habit of applying a very thin coat of Marvel Mystery Oil on the cylinders before putting things back in. You can coat the entire surface with just a couple of drops. I use my fingers for this so there is no excess left, and very little if any runs down onto whatever surface you set your heads on in preparation for putting them back on the engine.

I have also run some of this light oil in with the rings, but recently saw advice which suggested not doing that. You can probably find it using the search function here, and decide which way to go. I don't think I have ever had a ring seal issue, but that doesn't mean that perhaps they would have sealed sooner or better had I not oiled them.

Do you have Wayne Dempsey's book on rebuilding 911 engines? You should have it, and not just because it is courtesy of Wayne that we have this great forum. It is really good for the details of normal engine assembly.