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BTW, rotate the block so the bores are parelel(SP?) to the floor so your not fighting gravity

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not to be too picky, but i completely disagree with the above statement. the reasoning behind that is two fold.
1) the piston and pin in a common engine will weight about 2 pounds. if you hang the piston and pin on your scale BEFORE you do the test, you'll know how much those parts weigh. (that's gravity) you can deduct the weight from your test readings.
2) if performed as suggested above, you are more likely to have the piston trying to [Edited by Moparts - Family Friendly Site - Keep it clean] in the bore, giving a somewhat false reading due to excessive skirt drag.
i'm of the opinion that when testing ring tension, you should be pulling the piston vertically through a very clean bore with a very lightweight oil, such as marvel mystery oil or transmission fluid. you need some lubrication to get accurate results. don't use 40 or 50 wt. oil for the test.
the above is my opinion only and is not intended to provoke or otherwise excite anyone.