Had a very frustrating time last night trying to get the damn kb 96's in the juggs. I purchased this ring compressor from kragen (the type that is a spiral piece of thin sheet metal, held together by a ratcheting system), and it didn't work for $hit. The bottom, thin oil control ring kept popping through, between the compressor and the top of the cylinder. Which didn't allow the piston to drop in of course. I was pushing down hard on the tool to the top of the cylinder to try to tightend the gap while pushing the piston through, but somehow the thin ring kept finding an opening to spring open between the tool and cylinder. Everything was nice and oiled up. Is it the tool....??? Or am I doing something wrong?


Mike

mike i tried the same piece of compressor, same result went to a local bug shop that had a ring compressor that went up to 96 mm

it is just a 3/4" wide piece of metal with 2 little wings that i squeezed together with channel locks to compress the rings, it allowed me to have tighter compression near the jugs and allowed the pistons to slide in quite easily

i believe it came in a bug pack wrapper it was all of 3$

I used the same spiral compressor to install my cheap 96mm AA piston rings. No problem. I also used it to install rings on one of Mills914/s pistons on his 1.8. I held the compressor down on a flat surface while I tightened it around the piston. I tapped it a few times to keep it square. Once it was tight they just slid right on in!

Mike - the one I bought from my FLAPS had the same result as you're having. Made a homemade ring compressor out of tin... Pesky but it worked.

-pt

I've done about a dozen or so 911 engines using a hose clamp. Cost about $0.25. It's just wide enough to cover all the rings. I tighten it down pretty snug, then loosen about 1/4 turn. Bam, pistons pop right into cylinders. I haven't had the pleasure of rebuilding a 914 engine yet, but it should work just fine.

I have used the spiral one and never had a problem however I have never used the thin oil contol ring style like you have.

I use this style on Triumph motorcycle engines which go together like a type 4 (except you need 2 compressors and 4 hands).

compressor

Got two pistons into two of the jugs tonight.... It took a different ring compressor, and some smacking from a wooden hammer handle.

Mike

The only way I could get my cheap wavy POS ring compressor to work on my 96's was to use a zip tie on the oil ring and then cut it off and let the ring compressor handle the other rings. I put the zip tie on first, then the compressor, and then started sliding the piston in.

Has anyone tried the tapered ring compressors from summit or the like?

http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.a...mp;autoview=sku

What are people using to install the rings?

-Aaron