Ring Compressors

[chuck hahn]

Im interested to find out what ring compressors you folks are using...pros and cons of each. Theres a big selection on Ebay and am looking for suggestions on what kits are efficient and which ones to stay away from. Thanks.

[Rich82GS750TZ]

Following...........

[Steve]

For the bike, I carry my ring compressors with me ALL THE TIME.

Sometimes they are in my pockets, but they are ALWAYS at the ends of my hands.

Yep, I just use my fingers to coax the rings into the tapers on the bottoms of the cylinders.

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[GregT]

Yep, fingers are the most sensitive and least likely to do damage. I've been known to increase the lead-in tapers on bored cylinders too.
Some reconditioners don't give you enough taper after boring.

Very late engines - non GS - with Nikasil bores and the barrel in unit with the top case present their own version of this problem.
Often the top edge of the bores is a sharp corner - no lead-in taper at all.
I've been making up bolt-on plates with the taper included and have found this to be very satisfactory.

[Nessism]

If you're working alone and using fingers it take a lot of patients to install the pistons/rings safely. A couple of tricks that I've had success with is to block up the cylinder and then nudge the pistons up into the bores by rotating the crank. A better way is to suspend the cylinder using a bungee cord which allows you to slowly and uncontrollably lower it. Check Salty Dan's thread for a photo of such a setup.

As for ring compressors, I've seen guys using simple band clamps and others band clamps after wrapping the pistons/rings in thin metal shim stock. And of course there are all kinds of commercial spring compressors as well. I'd go the commercial route if doing it for a living. Easy for me to say though since I haven't priced them lately. Can't imaging them costing too much though.



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[Brendan W]

I was a fingers type. Last time I cut 2" wide strips from a plastic food container and used jubilee clips to squeeze the rings.
Maybe I got the plastic thickness just right. It went just far enough into the flare, the pistons practically walked in.
Like Ed said, I rotated the crank to the pots.
The only downside was that when the hose clamp came off the plastic wanted to spring out and take a swipe at the base gasket.

[TeamDar]

I’ve installed hundreds of cylinders over pistons using my fingers and never had a problem. Then again I know how to use the factory tappet depressor without any problems, have installed hundreds of heli-coils without a problem, and I know how to use easy-outs and taps without breaking them. Some people have a good feel for working with their hands and some people don’t.

[chuck hahn]

I got hands like bear paws and fingers like sausages. I been using smalll blade screwdrivers to sneak them into the bevel. Just think its time to make things easier on myself.

[1978GS750E]

I used hose clamps on my last re-gasket job. Just made sure to sand the insides with some 400 grit to remove any burrs and oiled them up before installing them over the rings. Worked easy-peasy for me!

[gs11ezrydr]

After almost 40 yrs. doing this, Dar got it......... You need to have that feel,,,, that only experience can provide......Back to ring compressors I have used the band type with decent results..I usually tapered the bores more,,That helped a lot.......

[kochic]

I just use my fingers.Band type are easier to remove.You will need at least 2 set.
Marc