Date: Sat, 7 Dec 2002 23:27:15 -0800
Reply-To: zolo <zolo@FOXINTERNET.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: zolo <zolo@FOXINTERNET.COM>
Subject: Re: Success! (Cylinder install after removal stuck to head)
Content-type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
---- Original Message ----
From: bspisak@HOTMAIL.COM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: RE: Success! (Cylinder install after removal stuck to head)
Date: Sat, 7 Dec 2002 12:16:54 -0800
>I sit here elated less than 5 minutes after resinstalling my
>cylinder after
>I removed it from the engine stuck to my head. After reading the
>archives,
>I was lead to believe that this was a near impossible task to
>perform,
>especially on the smaller clearance number 1 or 4 cyclinders. Maybe
>I got
>lucky, but I must say that the 20 minutes it took to do is by far a
>much
>better option than struggling trying to get the cylinder unstuck
>over the
>course of 3 days. I still wouldn't recommend pulling the cylinder
>unless it
>is truly stuck, so do your best, but if worst comes to worst, don't
>be
>afraid to give this method a shot. (To free my cylinder, even with
>out on
>the bench, I had to heat the head with a torch, and slam the thing
>with a
>heavy mallet - ouch!)
>
>For those who might benefit in the future here's how it worked:
>
>Buy a plier type ring compressor set. You can get these on eBay for
>under
>$30 or you can buy an expensive name brand. I used the cheap eBay
>ones, and
>the only thing I caution is not to over-tighten the band as they
>will crack
>if you do. I was using a size too big, so it didn't stop the job.
>I ended
>up using the 3-3/8 - 3-5/8 size.
>
>Get the piston TDC. Clean the piston and rings. Offset the rings 90
>degrees. Position the band so that its ears are between the top and
>bottom
>head bolts in the center of the block. This allows you to put the
>pliers on
>and angle them out of the way of the cylinder as you push it on.
>Pull the
>adjacent cyclinder just out of its seat so you can get a little play
>in it.
>You'll need all the room you can get for the cylinder to clear the
>pliers!
>Clamp the band down, leaving the top edge of the piston exposed to
>get the
>cylinder started. If one side of your pliers is lower profile than
>the
>other, make sure this side is toward the piston. (The pivot bolt on
>my
>protruded more on one side and interferred just enough that I had to
>reverse
>them.) Push the cylinder on slowly checking top and bottom to make
>sure the
>rings are compressed and sliding in. Once the cylinder hits the
>pliers, it
>gets tight, and you have to bump the cylinder gently in. I resisted
>using a
>mallet, and instead used the palm of my hand to avoid damaging the
>rings if
>they were hung up. As long as it keeps moving you are fine. Push
>the
>cylinder on just to the point the bottom ring is inside. To get the
>band
>off, I had to push it to the bottom of the cylinder until I could
>push the
>ear of the band in enough to clear the head bolt. If the cylinder
>were down
>any farther than it was, I couldn't have got it out. Once one of
>the ears
>of the compressor band is past the head bolt, you can expand it
>enough (just
>barely!) to get it to slide over the entire cylinder to get it out.
>
>Go here to see my diagram of where to position the band.
>http://www.geocities.com/bsassone/vanagon/ringband.bmp
>
>Brian
Good job Brian,
I had the feeling, you will do it. I told you that the special plier
type ring compressor can only do it and if you are going ahead with
the job come on and let me know to give you all the info of the
mechanics of the process. But as a good man, you went ahead and
figured it out yourself. Bravo. We all like to do the puzzles.
More fun and satisfaction. Congratulations.
Now, I just hope that you have not pinched the rubber o rings and
made them leak or installed a head that is not good anymore.
Let's hope that its all well.
Zoltan
>
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