piston ring compressor

[Belgian1979]

My old tool (https://www.dennisdeal.com/products/pis ... okQAvD_BwE) to compress my piston rings was damage (rip in the metal.
So I need a new tool. However with that unit I always had a love hate relationship as I seem to always need to have 3 hands to use it.

What would be a good tool to make the installation simple.

Bore 4.1285" custom pistons.

[PackardV8]

Yes, that's the old school universal tool and it worked with the old school thick rings. As today's rings get thinner, that tool will break rings regularly.

This one from Proform is probably your most cost-effective:

[Tom68]

My old tool (https://www.dennisdeal.com/products/pis ... okQAvD_BwE) to compress my piston rings was damage (rip in the metal.
So I need a new tool. However with that unit I always had a love hate relationship as I seem to always need to have 3 hands to use it.

What would be a good tool to make the installation simple.

Bore 4.1285" custom pistons.

They're a bugger to use, too much bore chamfer makes them harder, you have to have the band lined up on the fat part of the piston skirt to get it parallel. The release lever is a hair trigger, one touch and it opens when you don't want it too, I put a dob of silicon behind mine.

The one in Packards pic works great, you have to notch the 4.125" one for studs if using them on a SBC and if you use it on a smaller bore than intended you have to put a wedge in the top of the cut to get the bottom to pull in.

Aluminium bar guide extensions on the rods, don't bugger around with rubber hose.

[rebelyell]

the other side of the coin; so to speak
http://www.bhjproducts.com/bhj_content/ ... ng/rc1.php
top shelf and priced accordingly

[allencr267]

...(rip in the metal.

One of the straps? It may be repairable, and it can work with only one if need be.
Most of its trouble is caused by its range. If you cut the band down so it almost butts, without that excess there's a LOT less tension on those straps, and as long as the corner of a ring isn't in the gap, it'll be OK in that range.
Also, electrical contractors have leftover scrap big aluminum tubing/conduit, and I've always wanted to turn/bore some to make one of those single size compressors. Not anodized & pretty but oughta work just as well.
Good luck.

[Belgian1979]

My tool didn’t even have a ratched system on it. So I had to hold the wrench to compress the rings while tapping the pistons in.
Found something where with ratchet pliers which I’m going to try. Not too expensive.

[Caprimaniac]

The adjustable type of tool in Packards post works really good- at least it did for me, 4.125’’ bore.
I need some odd sized compressors now and then, and bought a kit like this:
https://www.amazon.com/MOTOCOCHE-Compre ... YXRm&psc=1

It’s not much better than the old-school «wrapping». However, I’ve managed to assemble a couple of engine by the help of it.

[Warp Speed]

The adjustable one like Packard posted work very well. Way better than any other style compressor, and you don't have to buy them in .005 increments for various bore sizes like you do the fixed size type. And they are fairly cheap too!

[rebelrouser]

I guess a lot of it is what you get used to using. But I like the Wrinkle style compressor. One thing is that it is fast to use, and with the slots in the band you can watch the rings as they go into the cylinder. If you tighten the compressor to tight it will, especially if it is getting old, it will cone slightly as the last ring goes in. So I replace it every couple years. Issue I have is sometimes the machine shop forgets to chamfer the cylinder, or when they hit it with the cone it is not an even chamfer all around the cylinder. I even bought my own chamfer cone because of the issue.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0009OR93I/?t ... olspros-20

[Warp Speed]

I guess a lot of it is what you get used to using. But I like the Wrinkle style compressor. One thing is that it is fast to use, and with the slots in the band you can watch the rings as they go into the cylinder. If you tighten the compressor to tight it will, especially if it is getting old, it will cone slightly as the last ring goes in. So I replace it every couple years. Issue I have is sometimes the machine shop forgets to chamfer the cylinder, or when they hit it with the cone it is not an even chamfer all around the cylinder. I even bought my own chamfer cone because of the issue.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0009OR93I/?t ... olspros-20

Actually it is not about what you are used to, but using the best thing that is cost effective. Some of the ones shown work fine if there is a huge chamfer on the cylinder. But huge chamfers are only good for ease of assembly, but nothing more and can be detrimental in a high performance engine.
A cone type, be it fixed size or the adjustable shown are far superior and help protect today's expensive rings.

[Dave De]

Ive been using this for a few years now but with a larger ring for bores up to 4.600"
https://www.gearwrench.com/products/aut ... ressor-set

[1980RS]

Ive been using this for a few years now but with a larger ring for bores up to 4.600"
https://www.gearwrench.com/products/aut ... ressor-set

I had those from Mac tools never did like them. Welcome to the sire by the way.

[xanadu]

I have been using the plier/ratchet type ring compressor for years and it does work well, however i find that you need to be really careful with the oil ring scrapers as they push through into the bore as they can fold up, dependent on the width of the bore chamfer the machinist leaves at the top of the bore. I only build 2 to 3 engines a year but after buying bore specific tapered ring compressors from Total seal, i wont use anything else from here on in, they are just so easy to use.

[Belgian1979]

Not much luck here. The alu ring compressor mentioned above is still underway.
Used the plier compressor that I could get locally. It went rather well but on 2 cyls I have issues with getting the pistons in. 2 times it bent the upper oil ring. Not sure what it is but with these CP oil rings, it seems that the oil ring expanders ends always want to go over eachother. Had to disassemble a couple of them prior to assembly and even then the rings tend to get damaged while pushing the piston in...
Frustrating.

Top of the bore has a bit of black trace on it from the ring sitting cocked in there while pushing it in and on one piston the top part of the oil ring groove got a bit damaged on the edge of it. The very outer part of the top of the groove got slightly pushed up and out. I ran a very fine needle file over it to make flush again and polished the area with some really fine sand paper (1500).

[gofaster]

Talk to someone at Total Seal Piston Rings. They will make you any size ring compressor with whatever taper you need depending on the ring package. They make adjustable and solid types. They made a some for me and they are reasonably priced. You can get standard sized TS ring compressors from summit, Here's a link to an example of one of the adjustable ones:
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/TSR-RC3-780-3885