Nathan, these are not grooves, per 'se..... they are very tiny raised serrations that wick any oil that made it past the seal lip, back towards the seal lip. As trivial as this may appear, it will make a difference.
Since you were not aware of this, are you perhaps also not aware of the piston wrist pin off-set for a RH Reverse engine?
I ask honestly.... no offense intended!
The pistons must be capable of reverse installation, in that not only the wrist pin off-set orientation be opposite, the valve reliefs must allow for this.
There are several possibilities:
Full dished w/ double reliefs (ambidextrous) -vs- full dished w/ single reliefs (2 p/n's required).
F/T's with double reliefs (ambidextrous) -vs- F/T's with single reliefs (again, 2 p/n's required).
(the piston profile must accommodate the cylinder head combustion chamber volume)
Then we can find ourselves getting into some of the Quench style pistons whereby we may find 4 p/n's required due to the valve reliefs being cut or shaped differently for Intake and Exhaust valve diameter.
Since the SBC cylinder head vavles are exh/int/int/exh/exh/int/exh, the piston vavle reliefs must reflect this.
Examples:
Valve reliefs on this quench style piston are of unequal size..... larger at the Intake valve.
This one is somewhat ambidextrous.... but still requires 2 p/n's, being that it's what we'd call a "single valve relief" piston.
(4 p/n's Stbd side bank..... 4 p/n's Port side bank...... due to wrist pin off-set)
The dreaded double valve relief full dished piston is totally ambidextrous.......
........ as is the double valve relief F/T piston.
(but again....., the piston profile must accommodate the cylinder head combustion chamber volume)
Which ever you chose, the person installing the pistons onto the connecting rods will need to know that these are for RH Rev engine.
The rest is easy...... RH Rev camshaft, RH Rev distibutor, oil pump remains standard, Engine "circ" pump must be Rev capable, RH starter motor, and the alternator won't care.
.
