[Shotimes] RE: Q on installing pistons

[bjshov8]

You have to put a lot of squeeze on the rings to reduce their diameter to
fit the cylinder.  Once you do this with the compressor then it takes a good
amount of force to get the piston to slide through the compressor.  Same
thing with the block- once the piston is in the bore the rings are still
under a lot of tension and it takes a good amount of effort for the piston
to slip.  We always put them in with a hammer, tapping on the top of the
piston with the end of the hammer handle.  They usually slide through the
cylinder a little easier than through the compressor.

If your rings didn't have good tension against the cylinder walls then the
rings wouldn't work well.  For instance if you severely overheat an engine
one of the affects is to reduce the "spring" of the rings.  When this
happens the rings don't seal well and you have severely reduced compression
and increased oil consumption.


> Well...I had to coax it out of the compressor a little
> bit but that didn't seem to be too much of a
> problem... It would slide and stop, slide and
> stop..and then I just hit it a little harder with the
> wooden handle and it was pretty much in.
>
> It just didn't plop in. I wasn't sure if it's supposed
> to or not..