Quality "E" clips for wrist pins??

[HusqyStihl]

Ive made the mistake of using cheapo wrist pin clips on an A/M 390 top end which has left me half way through a job today and one screwed up piston. Luckily it looks like the jug is ok and found pieces of the pin clip under the crank and another piece at the top of the piston. Wheres the best place for quality wrist pin "C" or "E" clips? Maybe a variety pack? Tiniest little thing cost me the piston and a 175$ job that was supposed to be quick but had me screwin with my saw all day.

 

[Jacob J.]

You could try the OEM Stihl clips and see if those will fit the groove in the piston. Some OEM clips will fit the aftermarket pistons and some won't.

 

[ccronin]

I use OEM Stihl cli ps on aftermarket pistons with no issues. The a 1.00 each from my dealer.

 

[Jacob J.]

You could also try the Husqvarna 55 Rancher wrist pin clip, it uses a 10mm wrist pin like the 390. The Husky part number is 737 44 10-00.

 

[HusqyStihl]

You could also try the Husqvarna 55 Rancher wrist pin clip, it uses a 10mm wrist pin like the 390. The Husky part number is 737 44 10-00.

Ill have to check this out since ive got a couple 55's been workin on and a couple more comin. I didnt really like the quality when installing them but figured "what damage could they possibly do?"

Psh, i guess a bunch. And a quick couple hundred bucks not including the replacement parts and time to tear it down and rebuild it. Cut the rings right in half

 

[HusqyStihl]

I use OEM Stihl cli ps on aftermarket pistons with no issues. The a 1.00 each from my dealer.

Unfortunately i dont have a close Stihl dealer. Even when i ask for oregon chain at lowes or HD they give me an attitude for running Stihls. Not sure why they give a damn

 

[zogger]

You have to wonder about the bean counting going on with the aftermarket p/c kit guys. I mean, they want your business, then maybe repeat business. Then they cheap out on the least expensive but critically important part!!! So they make one sale, some guy has this happen to them over the clip..WTF are they thinking, oh goody we made 2 cents extra profit!!! Then they lose a customer due to catastrophic failure. Nuts, just crazy insane.

 

[71dart]

I posted in your other thread about this issue. I got an NWP 390 kit and I didn't like those piston clips at all. The original stihl clips were quite a bit smaller than the NWP clips. I installed the stihl clips and they were too loose. I bit the bullet and ordered an OEM stihl piston kit for my 029super/039 from Baileys for $57. It's a lot of money but the saw was free and in great shape so I figured I'd do it up right.

 

[HusqyStihl]

I posted in your other thread about this issue. I got an NWP 390 kit and I didn't like those piston clips at all. The original stihl clips were quite a bit smaller than the NWP clips. I installed the stihl clips and they were too loose. I bit the bullet and ordered an OEM stihl piston kit for my 029super/039 from Baileys for $57. It's a lot of money but the saw was free and in great shape so I figured I'd do it up right.

Im thinkin i may have to go this way unfortunetly. I do have another entire A/M top end but with the same clips i dont think i want em poppin out again. Saw was runnin perfect then sounded like it ran out of gas. Pulled the muffler and everything seemed fine. Pissed me off a bit but after a teardown i figured it out. Bummer. 390 now sittin in pieces and gotta finish a job today with the old 262 and 290 but need new chains. More money and time wasted for a 1$ clip lol

On top of that i think i pulled so many times on the thing i may need to swap in a new recoil spring and cord!! Grrrr!!

 

[HusqyStihl]

You have to wonder about the bean counting going on with the aftermarket p/c kit guys. I mean, they want your business, then maybe repeat business. Then they cheap out on the least expensive but critically important part!!! So they make one sale, some guy has this happen to them over the clip..WTF are they thinking, oh goody we made 2 cents extra profit!!! Then they lose a customer due to catastrophic failure. Nuts, just crazy insane.

You are correct sir, couple of cents cost me 2 to 300 bucks at least. Gonna stop by the local saw shop to check out what kinda clips they got and bring mine for comparison along with the damaged parts for fitment. I take it i should be looking for a tighter fit? Springy-ness? Less springy?

Anythoughts on using loctite red on these, just a thought and the heat might render it useless but something makes me want these little sh1ts to stay in place this time..

 

[cedarshark]

The aftermarket clips with the "loops" on the end are the easiest to install (for me) but usually low quality. I believe putting in an OEM clip with needlenose pliers increases the chance of the clip being bent and prone to pop out. We all know these clips are installed at the factory with a special tool. Wrist pin clips are similar to seals. We, as shade tree mechanics, get by using hand tools or jury rigged screwdrivers but if you want to see how easy it is to pull a seal, try the factory seal puller. I bet if we all used the wristpin clip install tool, we would never have a clip pop out. I too have had a clip pop out and trash the piston and it is frustrating.

 

[Chris-PA]

I'm curious as to exctly what fails on these. If there is any movement the clip can pound away at the groove. The clip could break too. It seems to me that the key is to have no movement at all between the clip and the piston.

With no movement how do they fail? There should be no fatigue failure unless something flexes. Those little tabs on the ends of some could allow fex, but I have some of those on factory engines too and they seem to work.

Is there a caertain direction clips should be oriented? I make sure the end is not in the slot for removal on smoe pistons.

 

[cedarshark]

I'm curious as to exctly what fails on these. If there is any movement the clip can pound away at the groove. The clip could break too. It seems to me that the key is to have no movement at all between the clip and the piston.

With no movement how do they fail? There should be no fatigue failure unless something flexes. Those little tabs on the ends of some could allow fex, but I have some of those on factory engines too and they seem to work.

Is there a caertain direction clips should be oriented? I make sure the end is not in the slot for removal on smoe pistons.

Chis, like you, I try to ensure the open side of the clip is opposite the slot in the piston boss. I think what happens is, when doing it with needle nose pliers, you insert one side of the clip in the groove, then bend the other side into the groove. This deforms the shape of the circlip and it loses the necessary tension to hold it securely in the slot. I wonder if a set of needle nose pliers could be modified by grinding a couple of grooves on the inside of the jaws, at the tips, which let you securely hold the clip, compress slightly, and insert into the groove ?

The one that failed on me (meteor 026), half the clip was embedded in the side of the piston, the other half appeared to be ejected from the exhaust port as it was not to be found. I had to use the AM clip, as I lost the OEM clip when it went flying trying to get it in the new piston. To me, in order of frustating tasks on a saw, seal removal was the worst followed closely by wrist pin clip removal/insertion. I have learned to install one side circlip before the piston is installed on the connecting rod so you do not have to work in close quarters on both sides of the saw.

 

[spindrift7mm]

Any of you guys that work on more than just an occasional repair might try this. I keep a list on my phone of small parts that are not for specific saws such as clips, screws and springs. When I order parts from dealers I check my phone list and order these small parts for stock so the shipping don't kill you. Simple parts like Husky exhaust bolts, the long ones work great for line up studs on cylinders and cases also to hold gaskets in place. These little parts can be a life saver at midnight on a rush job. Ken

 

[HusqyStihl]

Unfortunetly my local guys closed at noon today so i didn't inquire about c-clips, just grabbed a fresh chain for the 262 and that little bastard finished the job without a hiccup after a fresh rebuild Meteor in it. I was gonna ask if they have some sort of assortment (like clutch type clips of all sizes). Then i'd have a stock of different sizes on hand. I'm trying to think of something else to hold these in place as they can cause major damage. Anyone know the part number for the specialized tool? And if its made for one specific clip size or universal?

I'm gonna do a bit of research after dinner and see what i can dig up. I will admit i did the needle nose pliers to get em in, seemed to slide right in snug and no play with the wrist pin... until on the jobsite of course. I will NEVER only bring one saw again

 

[HusqyStihl]

The aftermarket clips with the "loops" on the end are the easiest to install (for me) but usually low quality. I believe putting in an OEM clip with needlenose pliers increases the chance of the clip being bent and prone to pop out. We all know these clips are installed at the factory with a special tool. Wrist pin clips are similar to seals. We, as shade tree mechanics, get by using hand tools or jury rigged screwdrivers but if you want to see how easy it is to pull a seal, try the factory seal puller. I bet if we all used the wristpin clip install tool, we would never have a clip pop out. I too have had a clip pop out and trash the piston and it is frustrating.

The factory tools universal or buy one for every type of machine or size clip??

 

[nitehawk55]

You should always position the open ends of the clip up or down . If it is placed to the side the centrifical force of the sudden direction chance can cause the clip to flex loose in the groove and will sometimes pop out

 

[cedarshark]

Here is a pic of a homemade tool I made this aft on a grinder to help with inserting the clips. I used an old set of needle nose pliers that were bent at the end and pretty useless. You will note they have been ground back and thinned at the ends. They make inserting the clips much easier but probably not as easy as the factory tool. The tool makes it easier to get the clip "down in" the piston while still compressed. I used a small screwdriver to then push the circlip out of the pliers and into the groove. The price was right and it is universal.

 

[71dart]

Unfortunetly my local guys closed at noon today so i didn't inquire about c-clips, just grabbed a fresh chain for the 262 and that little bastard finished the job without a hiccup after a fresh rebuild Meteor in it. I was gonna ask if they have some sort of assortment (like clutch type clips of all sizes). Then i'd have a stock of different sizes on hand. I'm trying to think of something else to hold these in place as they can cause major damage. Anyone know the part number for the specialized tool? And if its made for one specific clip size or universal?

I'm gonna do a bit of research after dinner and see what i can dig up. I will admit i did the needle nose pliers to get em in, seemed to slide right in snug and no play with the wrist pin... until on the jobsite of course. I will NEVER only bring one saw again

+1 on the gap at 12 o'clock or 6 o'clock. Google Buxtools C-clipper.. Part no. 305 is for the 10mm as is on your 390. And ,yes, you need a different tool for different sized wrist pins. Searching on AS, the reviews are mixed on the efficacy of the tool but it's a though.

 

[treeslayer2003]

i think they do fatigue. i recently pulled an early 044 down and the clip was now soft.....when i pulled it out it bent very easy and had no spring to it at all, it was like a soft wire. the saw i know for a fact has never been apart. i got new oem clips.