B
BadBillyB
Guest
Scott, I have never used a ring compressor to do this job. I cant imagine one to be very useful when doing this....I have done it many, many times, too many to count...Your cylinder block has a taper at the bottom of the sleeve to help assist in getting the rings in. Use this taper. Heres how I do it.
Connect a "fish" wire to the cam chain so once you get done the chain can be pulled through.
Turn the crank to where cylinders 2&3 are up high, they will go in first
Drop the cam chain down into motor (with wire attached) and turn motor gently clockwise until the chain bunches up and stops it from turning.
The block can be lowered over the studs with an assistant while you guide the 2&3 pistons up to the holes. Heres where it gets tricky.
Hold the pistons where 1/2 of the ring is started into the cylinder. In other words "cock" the piston sideways. Your ring endgaps (top ones) should be opposite each other and facing inline with the crankshaft. So basically one ring end is already started up into the holes taper. Now use a pop sickle stick or a clothes pin (Soft wood) and begin compressing the ring with it. Start at the point furthest away from the ring end gap, working your way toward the ring gap. As you compress the ring, the weight of the block and the taper on the sleeve will allow the rest of the ring to start into the tapered area of the sleeve. Once it does, simply cock the piston back straight and they are in.
You really need a second person to help with lowering the block as you dont want the full weight of the block sitting on the rings.
Once you get 2&3 in, rotate the crank backwards just enough to release the previously bunched up cam chain. Hang the cam chain up through the block and hook it to something with your "fish" wire. Be careful the block doesn't come down hard on 3&4 pistons as the crank is free to turn now and has some weight to it.
Rotate the crank to allow the block to come down and the remaining pistons to come up. Check your ring end gaps for proper position and cock the pistons to where 1/2 the ring goes into the bore. Compress as before with pop sickle sticks.
Works for me, never broke a ring. But I did have a good helper who understood exactly what we were doing......Good Luck....BadBillyB
Connect a "fish" wire to the cam chain so once you get done the chain can be pulled through.
Turn the crank to where cylinders 2&3 are up high, they will go in first
Drop the cam chain down into motor (with wire attached) and turn motor gently clockwise until the chain bunches up and stops it from turning.
The block can be lowered over the studs with an assistant while you guide the 2&3 pistons up to the holes. Heres where it gets tricky.
Hold the pistons where 1/2 of the ring is started into the cylinder. In other words "cock" the piston sideways. Your ring endgaps (top ones) should be opposite each other and facing inline with the crankshaft. So basically one ring end is already started up into the holes taper. Now use a pop sickle stick or a clothes pin (Soft wood) and begin compressing the ring with it. Start at the point furthest away from the ring end gap, working your way toward the ring gap. As you compress the ring, the weight of the block and the taper on the sleeve will allow the rest of the ring to start into the tapered area of the sleeve. Once it does, simply cock the piston back straight and they are in.
You really need a second person to help with lowering the block as you dont want the full weight of the block sitting on the rings.
Once you get 2&3 in, rotate the crank backwards just enough to release the previously bunched up cam chain. Hang the cam chain up through the block and hook it to something with your "fish" wire. Be careful the block doesn't come down hard on 3&4 pistons as the crank is free to turn now and has some weight to it.
Rotate the crank to allow the block to come down and the remaining pistons to come up. Check your ring end gaps for proper position and cock the pistons to where 1/2 the ring goes into the bore. Compress as before with pop sickle sticks.
Works for me, never broke a ring. But I did have a good helper who understood exactly what we were doing......Good Luck....BadBillyB
