piston instalation problem

[chris parker]

help! i am trying to build up my engine i have a problem with the sprung steel retaining clips on the little ends of the rods and pistons! i have kb silvolite piston and h beam rods the pistons and rods are a floating end sort so the pistons require a retaining ring which supplied is a sprung steel ring how do you instal these without destroying them or could i replace them with an internal circlip of the same dimension
i've built many english engines befor but they had pressed pistons
i'm racking my brains as how to collapse the ring so it will fit the grove?

[Paul Thompson 'Hooligan']

Hi Chris

Ticky little sods these - If they are the type that look like two turns of a flat washer in spring steel, then I usually feed one end in first, splitting from next turn as little as possible, and once about 180deg is in, they feed in quite well. Don't know if that is the correct way but it works for me. The coils must not be separated too much or they will not spring back and have to be discarded. They are also tricky to get out but Roy has never had one fail thus far....

(on re-reading the above - i'm not sure it helps as without a picture it's a bit difficult to explain [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img])

[chris parker]

thanks paul i was scratching my brains over the weekend but your advice worked i was not sure how far to open the retainers up as i did'nt want them breaking but yes start them in the hole and then slowly feed them around there not to bad to get out either as i managed to put a couple of my rods back to front so they fowled on the big end on instalation
thanks once again for our advice
chris [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[DC]

rest assured this is the correct way to have installed them. Sorry I didn't see your post before but mine came with installation tips included a view of spreading the spring as Paul has advised.

[DC]

here is a picture

[chris parker]

yep their the slippery little suckers many thanks to you both i,ve now got them in with only one lost knuckle
thanks again chris