Stop in for a cup of coffee
Get some 3/8" fuel hose and cut 2" - 3" pieces, then put the pieces over the threads for the rods while you install the pistons to keep the rod bolts from scratching/damaging/nicking the crank journal... If you make the hose a couple inches taller than the rod bolts, then you can use the hose to help guide the rod over the journal...
Remove the hose with needle nosed pliers when the rod is bottomed against the crank... Make sure the anchor slot is pointing outward toward the outside of the block and the oil squirt holes point toward the center of the engine... The oil squirt holes oil the opposite cylinder....
Always match the anchor slot on the rod to the same side of the cap - say to yourself "anchor slot to anchor slot" when you put the caps on the rods...
Make sure to rotate the rings before installing the pistons to make sure they all spin freely... Then after you verify the rings are free to spin, then orient the ring gaps a minimum of 90° apart or 180° for maximum sealing... Orient the ring gaps for the two compression rings and also the thin oil rings so they are 90° or more apart from each other...
Get some 3/8" fuel hose and cut 2" - 3" pieces, then put the pieces over the threads for the rods while you install the pistons to keep the rod bolts from scratching/damaging/nicking the crank journal... If you make the hose a couple inches taller than the rod bolts, then you can use the hose to help guide the rod over the journal...
Remove the hose with needle nosed pliers when the rod is bottomed against the crank... Make sure the anchor slot is pointing outward toward the outside of the block and the oil squirt holes point toward the center of the engine... The oil squirt holes oil the opposite cylinder....
Always match the anchor slot on the rod to the same side of the cap - say to yourself "anchor slot to anchor slot" when you put the caps on the rods...
Make sure to rotate the rings before installing the pistons to make sure they all spin freely... Then after you verify the rings are free to spin, then orient the ring gaps a minimum of 90° apart or 180° for maximum sealing... Orient the ring gaps for the two compression rings and also the thin oil rings so they are 90° or more apart from each other...