I'm working on a motor and I'm trying to get the jugs to slide over piston . . . piston rings are hanging me up. I can't slide the piston down , I have to put the jug down onto the piston/rings. All while holding piston straight, and whistling Dixie out my ass . . . ugh. I hate projects that have deadlines . . . Any hints, suggestions, or ammo?
Jugs over pistons? Years ago I put a 914 engine together without the aid of a proper ring compressor that cam apart enough to get out from between the head studs so I invented a compressor out of a couple of wide radiator hose clamps. It was a PITA because I had to loosen and retighten it on top of each individual ring as the cylinder slid on but it worked.
back when i worked on g/a acft to change a jug i used a strip of aluminum wide enough to cover the rings and long enough to wrap all the way around the piston and had a tail bent up 90 deg on each end to squezze it together with vise grips. i kept the piston near the bottom of the stroke so the skirt would rest on the case to help stabilize it. hope that helps...
I have used the hose clamp method many times. I cut an old oil bottle (plastic) to fit the piston size then use two clamps on the outside. Pretty cheap but effective.
Cool -- great ideas! It was late, I'm in a rush . . . . no sense in screwing it up though. I'll just skip getting it done for this weekend. Many thanks!!!
When I was working on my engine I just went to Autozone and got the ring compressor from them for free on their "loan a tool" program. Paid the deposit took it home used it and brought it back and got my money back. Thats just a suggestion.
Yea -- I should have got one when I was returning some crap yesterday . . . I should have also got some new plugs, since one of my old ones has piston goo on it . . . I guess I just had HUPA. (I don't know if they have a drug to cure that yet . . . )
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