mrhp told me the same thing with my piston, lube the rings with tranny fluid so the oil wont get baked into the ring grooves, what is shim stock? someone on here made a valve compressor i remember reading about it the used a big socket with a groove cut in the side big enough to get a magnet in to take out the keepers, if you have ever seen an 02 sensor socket I guess it looked kinda like that

 

Motor oil on cylinder wall
Assembly lube on piston/rings
The cylinder barrel is nikasil coated
If it was not a nikasil bore then I would only use oil.
Rings are cheaper than nickasil coating
Todays oils, regular and synthetic, are very high detergent.
When you take your motor apart, let me know how much carbon/burned oil is in the ring grooves.
Back in the days of leaded gas it was different.

 

I use my fingers to work the piston and rings into the jug with the jug upside down on the workbench.
then have the ol' lady hold it for me above the rod while I install the wrist pin and clip.

 

mrhp recommends a very light film of tranny fluid on the cylinder wall also for initial startup, says so in his directions sheet, only motor oil on the wrist pin and lower rod bearing and cams carriers