Topic: Piston ring stuck in groove, HELP!!!

[ffemt2466]

Sorry I know the search function is broken so posting on repeated things is necessary. I am close to finishing my motor and I have a few piston rings that are stuck in the grooves pretty bad. I have tried PB blaster and also tried soaking them in carb cleaner with no results. This is one of the last steps I have to button this motor back together. Also I'm sure everyone is going to recommend new rings but if I got them loose could they be reused if within tolerances? You guys are awesome and thanks ahead for replies!! 

[bryanj]

IF you can get them out in one piece AND they are within tolerance yes you can re-use them after cleaning the grooves out, thats a big IF tho

[cgswss]

The reason most of us would recommend new rings is because of the time and effort to get this far.  I differ with a lot on here as I would NEVER pull the jugs off without doing a hone job before putting it back together.  By the same token, I would not take the time out of my life to rebuild and engine without putting in new rings.  While the head is off, I would turn it upside down and fill the chambers with gas to see if they leak down. 

[bollingball]

Foolish to go this far and not put in new rings. Do you wash and reuse toilet paper If you had just finished a rebuild with new rings and found out you had to break it back down for some other reason. Then maybe reuse them.
Ken

[wrenchmuch]

There may be times when rings could be re used. Like a newly re built motor with new rings that doesn't have much run time. Your situation is different. If your bores end up outside of spec after honing ,your old rings won't seal. Their end gap will be too big. New rings will not work much better.  You will need to bore to the next size. I mention this because if after honing the bores are outside spec you don't need to worry about getting those rings off the pistons anymore.

[Xnavylfr]

Chances of getting the old rings off of the pistons will be slim without breaking them. As stated before ,if after you get the rings loose in the grooves and your end gap is too large you'll have to OS to get a tight fit!!!!


Xnavylfr(CHUCK)

[killersoundz]

You're not gonna get those out in one piece. I had a piston like that I had to break them out in about 100 bits.

[ekpent]

Back to the question though if you are still trying to get them loose,did you soak them in some good carb dunk,like in the gallons cans or the juice in a spray can.Good dunk is way better. Give them a shot with a good heat gun,not a hair dryer and see if that helps also. Re usung them though may be futile in the long run.

[ffemt2466]

Maybe my wording was confusing, the pistons are not stuck in the jugs, this is after they are separated. Anyone have a good recommendation for where to get a decent set of rings for a good price? I appreciate the input!

[phil71]

go to the honda dealer. they're cheap dude. and no way in hell you're getting the rings out in 1 piece. you'll be lucky if you don't crack the piston doing it. I've had some success soaking the piston in diesel fuel, then using some heat from a torch..   NOT A LOT, and do a few heat up/quench cycles. the expansion, contraction will help get them free.

[tlbranth]

try some 'Easy Off' oven cleaner to free the rings.

[ffemt2466]

So I tried boiling the pistons after no other success, it did manage to get one ring free but no luck with the others. I threw them in the freezer just to take a chance that that might work. I have decided to order new rings but still have to get these old ones out!! Thanks for the input!

[Harsh]

I had a piston with a stuck rings.  After many attempts using all of the above mentioned ways with no luck I resorted to using the thinnest cut off wheel I could find and a dremel.  I secured the piston and rigged up a block of wood and a towel to steady my hand.  I lightly set the cut off wheel on the rings in the gaps between the rings.  I cut down almost to the bottom of the ring.  I could see the rings starting to slightly raise out fo the grooves.  A little more heat and some pb blaster and the rings started to pop up from the grooves.  It still took a fair amount of time and work to slowly get the rings out.  And yes they came out in many pieces.

[knowsnothing]

Maybe try soaking them upside down in some seafoam?  It worked great for cleaning up my pistons.

[ffemt2466]

So it has been a month and I have had zero luck with removing these rings! This the only thing holding up my progress. Any other suggestions of something to soak them in?? HELP!!

[lucky]

If it was mine I would get the bores in the cylinders measured to see if the old pistons can even be used.


Also...Please do not throw the pistons in the trash can. They end up in the land fill.
Please recycle the metal. Take to a scrap dealer.

[PeWe]

Put it in the oven for a while. 
100-130 degrees C cannot harm, right? Smell not as good as a Pizza

[phil71]

At this point, you might as well try a torch, and a really fine chisel, but you know what.. really, you just need to pony up some $ and do what you gotta do. Pistons are cheap, rings are cheap. You're not gonna find usable transportation for anywhere near the $100 investment you'd make fixing it right, or even semi-right.  If the bore is uniform and in spec, go buy  a piston.

[ffemt2466]

I have bought new rings and I even bought a set of stock pistons from someone on here and those rings were jammed up too! I am trying to piece these together, I am trying just soaking in an oil solution this week

[tlbranth]

New rings stuck in new pistons? Something's wrong here matey.

[phil71]

THis is all very confusing. Mix up the tube of glue with the assembly lube? They look similar.

[Harsh]

I guess you skipped over my suggestion of using a dremel and a thin cut off wheel.

[ffemt2466]

Ok, to clear up any confusion, NO it is not new rings stuck in pistons, I bought new rings to replace the rings that are still currently stuck in the pistons! I might try the dremel tool but just makes me a little nervous to damage the pistons. I'm at my wits end with these stuck rings!!

[phil71]

there is no silver bullet for this. I've been at this a long time, and sometimes wreck a piston. That's the way the cookie crumbles..

[tlbranth]

I wouldn't use the dremel. If you have a vise, hold the piston in it with the jaws grabbing the crown end and the skirt end. Use wood and a rag between the jaws and the piston. Clamp it firmly. Take a small drift or punch and put it at the ring gap parallel with the ring and pretty well at a tangent to the piston. Make sure the punch is well within the edges of the piston groove, Rap that puppy hard with a hammer. It should either loosen the ring or break a chunk off. Go from there.
I had a similar problem many years back and finally had to buy one new piston. Still have the old one as a pencil holder - rings still in it.