Recommendations on Putting Cylinders Back On

[rev500]

I am about to put the cylinders back on my machine. I do not have the tool to compress the rings. Do you need this or is the chamfer on the cylinders enough? Any input would be great.

[skylar]

No, I have never used a ring compressor when putting the cylinders back on.

[dab102999]

I rarely use a ring compressor. make sure you got plenty of oil on those rings. Four hands are better then two if you can enlist a friend. Don't rely on just the chamfer though, squeeze those rings together first.

[ezra]

dubble check to make sure rings are right side up and gap is at right place take nice clean jugs out of wifes dishwasher wipe oil inside the cylinder walls and the whole piston it will slide in with a little presure

[rev500]

Thanks for all the feedback. I will be putting it back together next weekend.

[mark_e_hastings]

We used to get some of the big thick zip ties and use two of them togeather to go around the piston to compress the rings, then slide the piston in the hole and cut the zip tie off.

[rp7x]

roll a piece of tin around bend ends hold with pliers

[lenny]

I just did this last year and it was simple, takes seconds and no tools. Oil the rings, squeeze them with left had hold cylinder with right hand and lower into chamfer, keep rings tight, twist cylinder a bit while lowering it down. But what if your left handed?

[indy_500]

make sure it's right side up, lol. one of my uncles had his sled worked on by his neighbor and his neighbor put the cylinder on upside down.

[ezra]

all this tin zip tie ect what do you guys doo in a parkinglot in jan with out your tin top end should be a 1 hr job with 2 guys maby 1.5 on a shoe horned motor

[mjkaliszak]

Call me crazy but I use my fingers, and no oil. Everything is clean-clean-clean and cleaned again. Hard for me to not want to use my sense of feel. I turn the motor over by hand then get all crazy with the mirror looking in the ports . Make sure you have a good cross hatch hone done in the cylinders also. I lube last when my over-zealous mentality is satisfied that everything feels-sounds-looks 100%. YES there is something wrong with me BUT...I never built a grenade.
My .02

[dab102999]

Not at all saying that the way someone else does it is wrong or that my way is write but I wouldn't put rings on anything with oilin them. Done a lot of sleds, a few cars, and (don't even want to count) antique tractors. Every book and service manual always states to oil the rings. Some have even recomended soaking them in heated oil for a time being. If everything is totally clean I would suppose you could install without oilin but you take the chance of a small scratch the first time you turn it over. May not be a scratch to amount to anything but never know.