| Author | Message | ||
| Verell Boaen (Verell)
Intermediate Member Username: Verell Post Number: 1073 Registered: 5-2001 |
An alternative to heating with a torch is to put the piston in an oven pre-heated to it's hottest temperature (usually 475 degrees F.) Soak the ring with PB Blaster (a penetrating oil w/corrosion loostening agents). Let the piston heat up for 30 min, then try gently tapping on the the ring perimeter to loosen it. Give extra attention to an inch or so on each side of the seam where the ring's ends meet. If you can get an end moving, you'll be able to get the whole ring loose eventually. Plus you can get PB Blaster into the seam & it'll be working on both sides of the ring. Let the piston cool down & try taping the ring loose again. Soak again w/ PB Blaster & Repeat another time or 2 if necessary. The difference in expansion between the steel ring & the aluminum piston should break the corrosion bond. If it isn't loose after a several heat/cool down cycles, try thermal shocking the ring loose by heating the piston up & chill the ring by dripping a small amount of ice cold water on the ring in several places around the perimeter. A final step is to cool the piston down with liquid nitrogen. The aluminum will shrink & hopefully break the bond. Trick is to find the liquid nitrogen. Can usually find a supplier in the phone book. You'll need a large glass lined vacuum bottle to carry it. A quart should be enough for one , possibly 2 chill-downs. Good Luck! | ||
| Dave Helms (Davehelms)
Junior Member Username: Davehelms Post Number: 97 Registered: 5-2003 |
Mapp gas, or propane torch to heat the piston top, from the outside and inside. The piston being aluminum will grow much faster than the cast iron ring. Some gentle proding with the piston hot should do it. | ||
| Mark Eberhardt (Me_k)
Member Username: Me_k Post Number: 646 Registered: 5-2002 |
I'd try any good penatrating oil, tap with a mallet and hope for the best. I dyno'd a motorcyle engine with standard rings then with total seal, it was a 2% increase just like the leakdown numbers (98 vs 100) | ||
| Scott Grossman (Sngsmgaolcom)
Junior Member Username: Sngsmgaolcom Post Number: 98 Registered: 2-2002 |
Dave, Try KROIL the oil that creeps. I have used it to free up some very stubborn parts. Put it on and let it soak for several hours, and I'll bet they come right off. HTH Scott | ||
| Dave Burch (Merlyn)
Junior Member Username: Merlyn Post Number: 111 Registered: 8-2002 |
If the rings are cast iron you might get a machine shop to chuck them up in a lathe and use a thin cutoff blade. If they are stainless, that probably wont work. I assume you have tried soaking them in penetration oil, and heating the piston. Can you grind a chisel down and tap on the ends of the rings? Can you try to tap them further into the piston to break the bond? Worst case you could go to a shop that does EDM work. (electrical discharge machining) they remove studs from aluminum parts all the time | ||
| Lee Hamner (Tennlee)
Junior Member Username: Tennlee Post Number: 159 Registered: 2-2002 |
I think send the pistons and rings still frozen and let them take 'em off. | ||
| myles kleinfelter (Gonzo350)
Junior Member Username: Gonzo350 Post Number: 60 Registered: 8-2002 |
OK....but how can I get these frozen rings off in the mean time? | ||
| Mitchell Le (Yelcab1)
Member Username: Yelcab1 Post Number: 633 Registered: 11-2001 |
Send the whole piston to Total Seal and ask them to make you a set of rings. (I did). Just be careful, they made a set that was too big for my piston the first time and did not check the fit at all. So, I had to send back the set, and the piston, for a second set to be made for free. I really cannot tell whether their claim of horsepower is valid or not. | ||
| myles kleinfelter (Gonzo350)
Junior Member Username: Gonzo350 Post Number: 59 Registered: 8-2002 |
OK....so I need to send some ring specs to Total Seal....problem...the compression rings are FROZEN to the piston! I cant get them off! (no wonder I didn't have any compression!) The oil rings come off without any problem...but the comp rings are impossible! Any ideas? I dont want to ruin a good set of pistons! |