Piston ring locator

A piston and piston ring assembly for an internal combustion engine including a piston ring locator to prevent substantial rotation of the piston ring in a ring groove comprising a piston having a circumferential piston ring groove defined by an axially extending circumferential bottom wall and spaced radially extending annular sidewalls, a split piston ring in said groove having facing ends at said split, a piston ring locator in said groove, said locator comprising a ring-shaped clip having an annular body portion and first and second end portions, a first segment of said clip being displaced and extending substantially in a first axial direction, a second segment of said clip being displaced and extending in a substantially opposite second axial direction, a notch in one of said sidewalls extending in one of said directions, and at least one of the facing ends of said split piston ring defining an abutment pocket extending in another one of said directions, said first segment of said clip being received in said notch and said second segment of said clip being received in said abutment pocket to thereby lock said ring against any substantial rotational movement relative to said piston.