Fitting cylinders/ jugs

[fastbysuzuki]

Has anyone tried fitting the Pistons into the cylinders then lowering the cylinders down and then connecting the wrist pins and snap rings?
As opposed to fitting the wrist pins then lowering the cylinders onto the Pistons.

[Brendan W]

Without hesitation the answer to that is an unqualified yes. If you can think of it someone's tried it. Success is another matter. I seem to recall someone recently saying that is was near on impossible on a smaller capacity machine , a 550 or 650 I think.
Are you trying to avoid the need for ring compressor stuff. There are a few ways to get the rings in using strips of paint buckets and hose clamps etc which work quite well even doing them two at a time.

[tkent02]

Fingernails work even better.

[Brendan W]

Couldn't do it. Must be the fingers they are attached to

[Fjbj40]

That's the way I do them, I use pieces of wood to hold the cylinders, then slowly pull the wood out after wrist pins are in. I always do them myself so this is the technique I use.

[ukjules]

I put my barrel onto my pistons on my gs550e myself with no assistance.
No ring compressors and i used a block of wood to hold the barrel up.

I did 2 at a time. There seemed to be a reasonable lead into the cylinders
and to be honest i was surprised it went in so easily.

[520eek]

I just used hose clamps and some plastic strips, went on very easy!IMG_0014.jpg

[cowboyup3371]

Steve and I did mine (GS550T) today using just our fingers to press the rings in and two blocks of wood to hold the center pistons.

Here's a diagram to make your own out of the 850 Clymers (still works for others)