Caution about aftermarket wrist pin clips

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PogoInTheWoods

PogoInTheWoods

Don't forget about the alligators...
. AS Supporting Member.
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Funny how a half-cent (if that) part is the most important and also most potentially damaging part on a saw. Also funny is how many different wrong methods we use to install em and how many failures occur as a result..., along with how the clip is always to blame, not the installation method. And unless one very carefully measures and compares clips in a mix and match approach, well..., the odds are against the same quality spring steel from clip to clip, let alone correct dimensions between different clips and grooves..., and that goes for OEM clips in AM pistons.

As for cheap-ass AM kits, you get what you pay for (and deserve) and are taking your chances all the way around there, not just with the clips.

FWIW, I've never had an AM clip fail. My only clip failure was OEM and was my fault.
 
ZeroJunk
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Browns Summit NC
Funny how a half-cent (if that) part is the most important and also most potentially damaging part on a saw. Also funny is how many different wrong methods we use to install em and how many failures occur as a result..., along with how the clip is always to blame, not the installation method. And unless one very carefully measures and compares clips in a mix and match approach, well..., the odds are against the same quality spring steel from clip to clip, let alone correct dimensions between different clips and grooves..., and that goes for OEM clips in AM pistons.

As for cheap-ass AM kits, you get what you pay for (and deserve) and are taking your chances all the way around there, not just with the clips.

FWIW, I've never had an AM clip fail. My only clip failure was OEM and was my fault.


In both of these cases the clip is still in place, just one of the ears is gone. Not sure what installation error could explain that. Now, if it spit the whole clip out I would suspect I had bent it, or not got it properly in place or whatever. But, there is not much to explain a clip losing the ear or tab other than metal fatigue.
 
PogoInTheWoods

PogoInTheWoods

Don't forget about the alligators...
. AS Supporting Member.
Joined
Dec 13, 2009
Messages
6,933
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I'm not necessarily disagreeing, here. Just sayin' cheap ass is cheap ass and putting undue stress on ears or excessive compression on a clip during installation is more likely to cause a failure than the clip simply coming apart all by itself during operation.

In other words, buy good parts and install them correctly for the best results. Just seems like common sense to me.

Another observation I've made regarding the Hyway kits is that I've occasionally found oversized clips in the kit. I mean flat out the wrong clips. Can you make em fit? Yes. Do you weaken the snot out of em by having to over compress to get em into place? Of course. Should you use em anyway? I wouldn't. To me that's a good case for rooting through your clip stash for a better fitting clip, or send the kit back and take your chances on the replacement having the correct clips. I know what most of us would do.
 
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