I used tie wraps in conjunction with a ring compressor tool for this job. I put the ring compressor on the piston and cranked it down with the ratcheting pliers part of the tool, cinched down the strap part with the tie wraps, and removed the ratcheting pliers. The whole remaining assembly fit into the case. Once the cylinder was on all the rings, the tie wrap was clipped and the compressor tool removed. There was a post on here sometime ago about this very procedure with much more detail. It worked great for me.
It was tricky because the compressor tool has ears that almost made it too big to be removed. If I were to do it again I might grind down those ears, or maybe just use some plain old sheet metal under the tie wraps.
Brian 84 Westy 'The Ark'
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 5 Apr 2006 14:06:05 -0400 From: Tabe Johnson <greentabe-vanagon@YAHOO.COM> Subject: Can you use tie-wraps to compress WBX piston rings?
Has anyone ever tried using tie-wraps (zap-straps, whatever) as ring compressors for WBX piston rings? The way I envisage this working is you put your tie wraps over the rings, crank 'em down, slide the cylinder on, and the tie wraps slide down as you put the cylinder on. You could then cut the tie wraps off.
Might this allow you to reinstall the cylinders without having to remove the piston?
Comments? Good idea? Bad idea?
tabe johnson/87 westy
------------------------------ |
Please note - During the past 17 years of operation, several gigabytes of
Vanagon mail messages have been archived. Searching the entire collection
will take up to five minutes to complete. Please be patient!
Return to the archives @ gerry.vanagon.com
The vanagon mailing list archives are copyright (c) 1994-2011, and may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the list administrators. Posting messages to this mailing list grants a license to the mailing list administrators to reproduce the message in a compilation, either printed or electronic. All compilations will be not-for-profit, with any excess proceeds going to the Vanagon mailing list.
Any profits from list compilations go exclusively towards the management and operation of the Vanagon mailing list and vanagon mailing list web site.