I hate to say it but I said about the bearings when you first posted about the problem, when doing this amount of work it is best to check things properly it will save you alot of time in the future trust me I know, been there and done that.
Because the explosion that happens in the cylinder forces the piston back down with more pressure than it just being pulled down. You are taking such small tolerances which is why you can't feel it when moving by hand.
If one has failed they all will have. You can buy a set for around £30-40 make sure you use engine assembly grease when fitting new ones.
Loads of things can cause this issue, dirt in the oil, oil starvation possibly caused by your pickup being to close to the sump. Wrong oil. Also when you get a new engine you are suppose to run it in with special oil if not done correctly damaged could have been caused