Piston ring install issues.

[0xDEADBEEF]

Personally, I would only use that piston as a paper weight now.

It should go in and out with a light tap. Beating on it is never a good idea.

 

[DeCaff2007]

Oh and here... ring gap is ok, if not excessive.

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[DeCaff2007]

Personally, I would only use that piston as a paper weight now.

It should go in and out with a light tap. Beating on it is never a good idea.

The piston itself, WITHOUT rings, slides in and out of the cylinder nice and silky smooth. It always has.

@Supercharged111, yeah, it's greased up. It's not perfect circle, though. I need to wait for that new compressor to get here.

OH and btw, I broke another ring, trying to remove it from the piston. SIGH. I think these rings are just junk.

Again, anyone have suggestions as to what brand I should be looking at?

Thanks.

 

[0xDEADBEEF]

The piston itself, WITHOUT rings, slides in and out of the cylinder nice and silky smooth. It always has.

@Supercharged111, yeah, it's greased up. It's not perfect circle, though. I need to wait for that new compressor to get here.

OH and btw, I broke another ring, trying to remove it from the piston. SIGH. I think these rings are just junk.

Again, anyone have suggestions as to what brand I should be looking at?

Thanks.

I mean the piston with rings installed should only need light taps. If you are full on swinging a hammer at it, it ain't right.

 

[DeCaff2007]

I mean the piston with rings installed should only need light taps. If you are full on swinging a hammer at it, it ain't right.

Well yes I thought that's what you meant lol.

Ok, now we play the waiting game on parts and tools.....

 

[Hipster]

Have you compared the old rings vs the new rings side by side?

I don't really have anything technical to add, but I got one of these tapered compressors and it's by far the easiest method I have used.

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^^^ this is a better type, this is also better

Lisle Piston Ring Compressor, 3"-5" Wrinkle 21700 | Zoro

Order Lisle Piston Ring Compressor, 3"-5" Wrinkle, 21700 at Zoro.com. Great prices & free shipping on orders over $50 when you sign in or sign up for an account.

www.zoro.com

 

[Hipster]

Yes, to the letter, just like the mook in this video:

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Type? I didn't know there is more than one.

My ring compressor: Notice the locking action is different than in the vid. The compressor in the vid is from Harbor Freight. I sprung 2 of them before making the 45 minute drive to borrow this one from my FIL.

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As for a ring not fully seating in the piston grooves... my Wife tried compressing the bottom ring by hand and she tried pointing out how she sees an edge at the bottom. I thought perhaps she just wasn't strong enough to compress the ring and that the tool should have compensated for that. I'll check again today.

Yes, LoL, I've installed pistons before.

This type sucks. You can end up with the rings not so tight to the piston, they can pop loose while tapping or bounce and side adjuster prevents the whole works from sitting down in the chamfer. Can almost guarantee you the second ring is expanding out past the ring compressor before it drops down past the chamfer if you do in fact have the right rings for those pistons.

 

[Hipster]

There's a half-dozen styles of ring compressor; and a hundred brand names making better or worse versions of each kind. The LAST style of ring compressor I'd use is the one you have. I gave up on that style ring compressor decades ago.

Go to any auto parts store in America, look for the Lisle tool display. The ring compressor I use is sold by Lisle (and also sold as "store brand" at CarQuest, perhaps others as well.)

Of course, Amazon has them as well.
www.amazon.com/Lisle-21700-Wrinkle-Band-Compressor/dp/B0009OR93I/ref=sr_1_3?crid=146O9NE2ID8CJ

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BEWARE: These ring compressors are victims of those who knock-off products, and the importers who can't be bothered to perform QA on the incoming items. I bought a piece-of-crap counterfeit product where the slots in the steel band were punched from the wrong direction, so that the sharp, jagged edge was facing inward toward the rings. The last thing that happened to the rings before they were crammed into the cylinder was that the face of each ring was destroyed. I returned the tool before using it, warned the guy at the parts counter, who promptly put the ring compressor back into it's packaging and re-hung it on the display. Years ago, it was easy to tell the genuine, quality Lisle product from the junk, because the Lisle was made in USA, and the junk was imported from Asia. I won't promise that the Lisle is still made in USA.

As has already been mentioned, incorrect rings for the pistons; and hardened carbon in the ring grooves are also fairly likely causes of what you're experiencing.

You beat me to before I back read but I feel exactly the same about the wind it band type, I've been using the same Lisle compressor for the last 25 years Got hooked on it when doing top ends on cycles.

 

[evilunclegrimace]

^^^ this is a better type, this is also better

Lisle Piston Ring Compressor, 3"-5" Wrinkle 21700 | Zoro

Order Lisle Piston Ring Compressor, 3"-5" Wrinkle, 21700 at Zoro.com. Great prices & free shipping on orders over $50 when you sign in or sign up for an account.

www.zoro.com

That is the same style ring compressor that Caterpillar used in their dealer tool kits. It works very well.

 

[evilunclegrimace]

this is the style that I prefer;

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