Abstract: An oil ring assembly for internal combustion engine pistons including an annular split piston ring with an inner circumferential groove, a radially expandable split annular spring in the groove, and a bridging means in the groove spanning the gap between opposite ends of the piston ring. The spring is preferably a coil spring and the bridging means is preferably a cylindrical arcuate segment located between opposite ends of the spring with pins on each end extending inside the coils of the spring. Alternatively, the arcuate segment may be formed from a tightly wound coil spring. A second enbodiment utilizes a serpentine expander as the spring and the bridging means comprises a flat arcuate segment located in a notch in the expander adjacent the gap in the piston ring.