I need to replace my rings and while i'm doing that I have already decided to buy new complete heads instead of resurfacing mine and going through and replacing valves and seats etc. My question is should I replace pistons, sleeves or anything else while in there? Or if they are in spec should I even bother.

 

Personally I would replace everything you can get to while in there. Better to have brand new that old. Just my .02 cents

 

Are there any budget restraints here?

 

What do the cylinder bores look like? If it has mega miles will need more than just rings. Engine in or out?

 

Get 1.7 ratio roller rockers (Harland Sharp is good bang for rubel) if you don't have a set yet. It's like a whole new cam. Managed to scam a set from a junk yard, big mid-range difference on me 318. It's amazing what an electric drill driver with the appropriate sockets will accomplish in mere seconds, especially when the engine is stripped of intakes n other external accouterments...

 

Leaving engine in, Not necessarily a budget, I don't plan on going overboard. Everything back to OE is fine by me, unless there is a specific part that is trash that would be best replacing with an upgraded aftermarket. I don't race the thing, I dont care about MPG, don't do heavy off-roading. I only plan to tow a 3,000-lb trailer and will be installing 4.56 gears when my 33" tires go bald and will replace with 35's. Main reason for the engine work at all is I am getting a bit of oil burning by getting past the rings. about a qt every thousand miles. Im not in a huge hurry, that is not bad for me but I plan to keep this truck for at least another ten years so it is worth the fix at some point for me. No signs of any major problems, no external leaks, even the minor internal one isn't enough to produce smoke out the tail pipe. oh and 135,000 miles on it.

 

Ol blue sat for years, maybe 2-300 miles between oil changes....every 6 months. So no oil usage patterns to record. Recently, I've been slowly restoring her. So, I replaced oil seals, gaskets on the engine n tranny...that kinda thing. Now I use her allot more. N just like when I used to drive the livin' daylights outta her, she'd go approx 1500 miles, start usin' oil till round 2000 and I'd add a qt. Then, I'd let her go till 4000 (uses a little more), time for oil change. She STILL has the exact oil usage pattern she did when she was brand new...never could figgur that one out. Years ago, an old engine builder told me...BOY...you want that engine to use oil, rings, valve guides, they all need lubrication n that oil WILL get into the combustion chamber or exhaust either way n say bye bye. So I don't sweat "some" oil usage too much.

 

My 360 with 160,000 Mike' uses no oil but it does leak out of the crank pulley gasket about 1qt every 7,000 miles. I use Royal Purple so I go that long. I was always told an engine should use no oil. But hey that's still not bad. I plan on stroking my engine or buying a 408 already built with 500hp and 590ft-lbs. To the OP as the PVC system goes bad it will ingest so to spesp oil so I would start there.

 

I've never been so lucky, I've owned 4 "brand new" vehicles, Dodge, Mazda, Schevy, Toyota n 1 firebreathing, Saturn V powered build in me life. They've all used some amount of oil n I've used nothin' but synthetic since the late '90's. Additives n stabilizers, oil gets black with time, I've always had 'em all. To me, it's a mystical shooting star that holds no oil usage and like that shooting star, if it landed in my backyard, I still wouldn't find it lol.

 

A quart every 1000 is a little heavy, but what weight do you use? I switched to 10w40 before I even hit 100k because it liked to drink 10w30. Now I use exactly 2 quarts every 3k or so. It slowly drinks one, then I add one, then it slowly drinks one, and it's time to change.

I love Maxlife 10w40. I had a lifter make noise at about 130k and it made that quiet. Been beautiful ever since. Replaced the oil pump almost two years ago at 200k and looked at bearings - perfect still!

These magnums are overbuilt and underpowered. They have good low end torque and will last a long time with maintenance. I'm now at 234k and growing daily. Still my only vehicle and daily driver. Your's is barely broken in! I wouldn't tear into yet if it were mine.