Ahsai

Yes, that's the plan. I'm contemplating making a flange to lock the longer version to the engine case once the tool is fully inserted and seated squarely on the wrist pin hole of the piston. Then one can tap the clip in with confidence.

I've used the Porsche factory tool in Jake's class but the tool doesn't inspire confidence. It has too many moving parts. One has to keep pressure on the tool against the wrist pin hole WHILE delivering a strong blow to send the clip home. One slip can mess it up.

Something like this. The flange is red. The green holes form a perfect vertical plane to align/lock the insertion tool in place (the blue circle is the access port).

p.vanderlinden

Regarding the pistons, Wow!

I have never seen a valve notch so close to the upper ring land. I hope this doesn't lead to problems. One has to think that JE know there business.

Paul

Ahsai

Good point.

Imo000

I've been planning to make something like that too. I want the observation of the clips to be more controllable than the factory tool. A setup that can be slowly screwed in as opposed to slammed in by hand. Post what you make, it will be handy for every other DIYer.

Schnell Gelb

Having done this task with the 'approved' tools ,I can only say "Great Idea"!
If you've done lots of these engines or the similar Subaru setup,perhaps it is O.K. But using clumsy force on this engine seemed inappropriate at best .
It will be very interesting to see the new tool.

ltusler

I am not so sure tapping the clip in is a good idea, it needs to go in, in one motion once its in the proper position. Maybe some more practice before final assembly is in order?

Also aren't you going to grind off the clip tabs?

Ahsai

Thanks for the suggestions, guys. Yes, I just used the stock clip to practice and will eventually grind off the tang as the JE clips are tangless.

Will experiment a bit and report back. Mainly it's for fun as I'm ok using the stock tool.

AWDGuy

we were 2 on the stock tool. one held it in place nice and firmly and the bother gave it agood tap with the mallet.

Ahsai

Yea, a helper would be nice. In Jake's class, everyone was required to perform this task by himself without failure.

Ahsai

Just for my education, I measured the old piston ring gap in cylinder #1. The cylinders and the rings have deformed so much that they don't seal around the whole circumference. You can clearly see light from the cracks between the two. If you rotate the ring inside the cylinder, you could clearly feel that you're sliding something round around something oval.

They fit best with the original orientation - the ring gap was about 15 thou.

I cannot imagine how one can fit new rings into an ovaled cylinders and still have a good feeling. Also can't imagine how to gap the new rings with ovaled cylinders. It feels so bad and cylinder #1 is already the least distorted. My cyl #2 and #5 are about 6 to 7 thou out of round!

Although Jake has told us before may as well use the old rings, I just want to confirm here with my own observation.

ltusler

You are putting in new pistons in a block that has not been re-sleeved?

Ahsai

No, old piston in the old block. I haven't sent the block to LN yet. Just trying to check the stock ring gap and how the old rings seal in an ovaled bore.

ltusler

Got it. I think he did mention in class, that the rings will assume the original positions if you reuse them and put them back in the same bore. So in a engine "refresh" just put in new bearings and leave the pistons alone.

Flat6 Innovations

My faultless tool uses a feature like Ahsai mentions.. This locks the tool to the crankcase, and easily delivers the pin and clip mechanically.

You guys are acting like JE just started making these Pistons.. Hell, that piston design is a decade old, and has been used at least 1,400 times by those all over the world. You should see how wild my "X" piston is compared to that standard off the shelf offering.

Ahsai

Yes, Jake. Locking the tool to the crankcase makes a lot of sense.

Re the JE pistons, I'm sure they work well. As usual, I'm curious of the design and try to understand how and why each feature works.