Installing Small Earless Piston Pin Circlips?

[grizz55chev]

I trap it under my thumb, no way it can get away, squeeze in the side that is riding high and press down, hear the click and know its in place. Small parts and fine motor movements /skills are my specialty.

Practice makes perfect! I’ve gotten better at it, haven’t launched one lately!

 

[pioneerguy600]

Practice makes perfect! I’ve gotten better at it, haven’t launched one lately!

Keep at it, practice does improve the likelyhood of a perfect install but I won`t say I have a perfect install every time I try. May take a few tries but the clip stays in place, just have to try the push in sometimes more than once.

 

[67L36Driver]

I trap it under my thumb, no way it can get away, squeeze in the side that is riding high and press down, hear the click and know its in place. Small parts and fine motor movements /skills are my specialty.

U R not a shakey hand geezer.…yet.

 

[SteveSr]

But for getting them in, mini needle nose pliers are ur friend.

I have got some small needle nose that I use for electronics work. I may give them a try.

 

[SteveSr]

Finally got your pics you posted, you've got a lot of guts leaving those rings on the piston, I'd remove them to prevent breaking them.

Steve

Thought about that after the fact. They will be removed before any more monkeying around.

 

[dswensen]

+1 on the big clear plastic bag. Incidentally, you can use the same technique when installing the front takedown pin detent spring on an AR lower.

+2 on the plastic bag. I used to use a ziplock bag and struggle because they were too small for my hands plus work pieces. Then one day I was throwing away a plastic dry cleaning bag ... viola!! Drape the clear plastic dry cleaning bag over hands and work pieces - plenty of room and the thin plastic is easy to work and see through.

 

[SteveSr]

Same only the right thumb for me, and I’ve lost more than one, lol! One of em I later found inside the crankcase, after searching for around 15 min.

Mine seems to gravitate to the flywheel magnet. I like the plastic bag idea.

 

[SteveSr]

Piston pin just push in or did you press it in. Reason I ask is that, that ring looks mighty big for that small pin.

Steve

The pin just pushed right in by hand. No press required. That clip is what came with the whole new OEM piston assembly. I'll have to compare it to the one that I removed.

 

[holeycow]

Ps, always wrap a rag around the rod to close the crankcase to prevent anything (like a clip) from falling in.

 

[tomdcoker]

No yet and only a few hundred installs, small flat blade screwdriver and my left hand thumb.

I use the same method with a Stihl screwdriver that the width has been reduced some and use a Dremel to cut a notch in the center of the blade. Works for me, but be sure to keep your left thumb covering the area as much as you can. Even using this method it is still a dicey operation. Tom

 

[drf255]

If you think getting em in is hard, try getting them out of a piston without the relief like oem stihl pistons have... @drf255

Lol. I’ll never forget that lesson.

 

[pioneerguy600]

U R not a shakey hand geezer.…yet.

Not yet, installing tiny grub screws in blind installs give me more grief than circlips.

 

[pioneerguy600]

I use the same method with a Stihl screwdriver that the width has been reduced some and use a Dremel to cut a notch in the center of the blade. Works for me, but be sure to keep your left thumb covering the area as much as you can. Even using this method it is still a dicey operation. Tom

Tom, try extending a slight groove up from the open notch 1/8" or so, really helps me trap the circlip with good down pressure, circlip slides inward drops down in the recess and my trained thumb holds it down til the re positioned screwdriver finished the push down into the opening.

 

[Cantdog]

I trap it under my thumb, no way it can get away, squeeze in the side that is riding high and press down, hear the click and know its in place. Small parts and fine motor movements /skills are my specialty.

I 'spect that's 'cause you got a metric thumb, Jerry.....an.....I might add a rather large metric thumb at that!!...LOL!!

 

[pioneerguy600]

I 'spect that's 'cause you got a metric thumb, Jerry.....an.....I might add a rather large metric thumb at that!!...LOL!!

Yea, pretty big mitts eh?...LOL

 

[Gypo Logger]

Wearing glasses if you're blind in one eye and can't see out of the other is a plus when installing circlips.
I straight gassed a 372 last month. First time for me.

 

[pioneerguy600]

View attachment 689130 Wearing glasses if you're blind in one eye and can't see out of the other is a plus when installing circlips.
I straight gassed a 372 last month. First time for me.

Really nice ears.

 

[Bobby Kirbos]

View attachment 689130 Wearing glasses if you're blind in one eye and can't see out of the other is a plus when installing circlips.
I straight gassed a 372 last month. First time for me.

I like.... bats.

 

[SteveSr]

Well, here is what turns out to be a most important tool especially as the decades go by...



So, I removed the rings and wrapped the rod with a rag and stuffed it into the crankcase to prevent flying clip entry and mounted the piston back into the vice. I then put one side of the clip in the bore and covered most of it with my thumb. I then took an orange tuning screwdriver and pushed down on the other side. I heard a snap and didn't see any sign of the pin. Well, oh, sh!t where has it gone to now? I looked into the bore and the clip had snapped right where it was supposed to go! I next took one of my jewelers screwdrivers and rotated it until the gap faced up.

Thanks for everyone's suggestions. I think I may have gotten lucky! With only a sample of 1 you can't claim skill!

 

[grizz55chev]

Nothin to it!