piston ring compressor

[Kajun37]

well i just broke a ring i went to autozone and bought their ring compressor and managed to break one trying to install it......its 1975 25 hp johnson...which is the best compressor to buy? or the best way to do it without breaking rings? this is my first rebuild.....the rings for this motor cost me $30 and thats off ebay..from the dealer they are $40...i cant afford to get this wrong again

 

[Silvertip]

Re: piston ring compressor

Have you cut the ridge at the very top of the cylinder? If you've not done that even the best ring compressor will not help. Are you getting the compressor tight enough and is everything oiled well so the piston slides out of the compressor easily. I think it's technique more than equipment that's giving you problems -- or you have the wrong size rings (as in you can't put .030 oversize rings in a standard side bore.

 

[Kajun37]

Re: piston ring compressor

the cylinders have been honed out, totally smooth ...compressor was tight as it would go...everything was well oiled..the rings are the correct rings....this is the compressor i bought...

 

[Kajun37]

Re: piston ring compressor

ok ...it was technique......the first time i had tried to install the piston with both rings on it and it was hard to know if they were lined up with the ring pin..one got turned over the pin and when i tightened it up..i cracked it...a $30 mistake plus a one week delay due to ebay shipping....

i just went out and tried it again with the other piston...this time i did one ring at a time and it went smooth..each ring in the cylinder on the first try....now just have to wait for the other ring set...grrrrrrrrr