FOUND THE PROBLEM. I got the new ring compressor with the reverse bevel (which, I might add, is so small that I had to REALLY look for it). I put all the rings on piston number 3 and tried sliding the piston all the way through the compressor before even putting it on the block. It jammed solid halfway through the compressor. The oil control ring is the problem
Everyone see the teeth in the back of the oil control ring here (circled in red):
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The rails that go above and below the oil control ring, in the 3rd groove on the piston, won't fully compress because of these teeth.
Seen here:
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Not sure what to do now. This is a "shallow" oil groove piston, meaning the oil groove measures at .166" as opposed to a "deep" oil groove, which measures at .200. The rails that go in that groove would fit perfect if the oil control ring didn't have those teeth there. I took JUST that oil control ring out and the piston slid in the cylinder like butter.
According to year/make/model/part number, these are the CORRECT piston rings.
Soooo...... what now.....