Kierf - ¿§?

Alright...I've been trying to get the damn snap ring off to remove the thermostat...for about a week or so. I have spent about $60 in tools that don't fit. I took a picture so that you can see the orientation of the snap ring. I'm going to buy the snap ring tool from automotion.com.





Lastly...when I do finally remove it either with the tool or a shotgun, what is the best orientation for the snap ring so that it'll be easiest to remove next time...?

jurg

man,
The best way to do it it is from under the car, or removing the water pump :-D
try getting it from under and see what happends,i think its easier.

Jurg'

Kierf - ¿§?

I can't get to it from under the car. The way the ring is orientated doesn't allow that. Trust me, I've tried...

Riff

Have you tried making your own tool?? I did not remove the snap ring with the pump in place (did it before installing the pump) but I think you could fabricate a tool that would work just fine and probably cost less than the Automotion piece. From the looks of the tools you have, you can't get enough leverage to get to the ring to compress. Go to Sears and get on of their bent nose pliers (the large would work) and grind down the tips just enough to fit into the receiver holes. I made a set with some of the straight pliers and it worked like a charm. Plenty of leverage to get the ring out easily. Good luck getting it out.

Danno

The problem with trying to squeeze the two ends of the snap-ring together and pulling the whole thing out is that it doesn't squeeze together enough to get the entire ring out of the groove.

I used a pair of needle-nose pliers. I ground down one of the tips so that it would fit into the hole in the snap-ring. Then I would grip just one end of the snap-ring with the pliers, push or pull towards the thermostat to unseat that end only, and "peel" it around and off the groove.

triscadek

I did this last weekend. The orientation of your snap ring is easy to install but a bitch to get out.Try sticking a pick or 1 end of the snap ring pliers into 1 hole on the ring,pull it toward the center,and then "peel" it out and pull it around and out the inside of the hole. When you install the ring it's very easy to install from the bottom w/ the gap at the bottom but a bear to get the ring to fully seat w/ the gap at the top. I used the interchangable tip pliers you have and they worked ok ,but the tips bent.You could even run a thin piece of wire thru a hole,wrap it around a screwdriver or piece of broomstick and pull it in and out. (If you really get frustrated)By the by, I put a 160F. tstat in mine and I'm really happy w/ how my gauge reads. Good Luck, I feel your pain.

billybones

Take the very right hand pair of O-ring pliers stick in a vice about 2/3rds the way down to the joint..ring inserted side. take a torch.. Mapp gas or welding acetylene.. heat till it is some what near red.. bend the tool over to a 70 degree angle or so.. Mapp gas can be bought at any ace store. and for a few extra dollars you can get a mapp gas head..

billybones

You will still need to peel the ring out. and it will still seem like it needs 3 hands.. but better than ripping it all the way down...

nwehtje944

try taking the raditor out, it seemed to give me alot more room to work with. and it isn't hard to do.

working from the bottom, I found it the best way, with a friend watching from top, to help get the snap ring tool in place.

the snap ring is ungodly strong metal. It is very hard to compact the ring.

and watch out if you do get it out, bcs there is alot of water/antifreeze that comes out. make sure you don't get anyone in your eyes, etc

good luck, I know it isn't that fun but it can be done with the tools you got. after I got the radiator out, I was able to remove it in like 15 mins. its just a matter of getting the tools in the right place and being able to put pressure to them.

PrerYDoG

Warning: The following comment is non-value added.


No matter how many times I see the topic "SNAP RING POS $#!^" I can't help but to burst out in laughter (I'm in a cube at the office mind you). I've never dealt with the snap ring. I will someday, and I fear for the life of my sanity when I do this, that is why, even now, I must laugh hard.

Thaddeus

I'm planning on making a special snap-ring tool out of a strap hinge, some springs, peanut butter...

Thaddeus

Renntag

GUYS GUYS GUYS, It's not that hard.

First, appraoch from the bottom
Next, use a scratch awl or a pick or something to try to loosen the ring from its groove. Try to get it to move. Next, use a pair of GOOD QUALITY bent nose ring pliers, squeeze the ring and use a hook tool to pull one end out of the ring. Continue to work the ring out o fth groove. The n use the pliers to take tension off the housing and the hook to help pull it out.

It is very important that you get the ring to move in the groove. It could just be stuck. Sometimes using a pick in teh hole at the end of the ring and prying it out of the groove, while you stuff a small flat screwdriver under the end. This may help as well.

Take deep breathes. Remember, we are at the top of the food chain and have been blessed with opposable thumbs. We have over come far greater challenges.

Good luck man.

Tenacity pays.

Renntag

also, you do not need to remove the radiator OR the water pump. Hell, the only thing you have to remove is the splash shield ( if you still have one), and the lower rad hose.

PS, It isnt really funny when someone experiences frustration performing a relatively easy service on their car. Growing up I would just walk away from it, or call my girlfriend to coem get me...she allways complained I spent too much time with my car anyway. Of course she loved driving it and loved the the design of the ceiling.

urchin951

I like to use a pair of ground and bent needlenose. Better leverage then the snapring pliers. Its hard to reach angle and squeeze the latter. Work from below and use safety wire to compress the ring before reinstalling.

nwehtje944

yeah you don't have to remove the radiator or water pump. but for me, I found that I got alot more room to work in if I removed the radiator. this also alowed be to be able it clean the radiator out really well. it isn't like it is hard or anything to remove the radiator and put it back in.

nothing about is really that hard about the snap ring, esp the snap ring itself. it is some really hard metal and it can be hard to compress that metal to the point where you can remove the ring.