Flying Circlips

[Vintage Engine Repairs]

I was warned so many times “careful, circlips go flying never to be seen again!”

I didn’t doubt this, but I didn’t quite realise just how much energy these little things have! I took the advice of being careful so I put a towel around the piston and my hands. Gave it a little push, lifted my thumb to see and Woooosh! *flingggggggggggg” it went as it literally vanished out my hands, over my shoulder and off into the abyss! Carefully I listened as it went on it’s journey so I had a vague idea of where it was. Some how, some way I found it after a minute of searching! Those little clips have some crazy built up energy!!!!! Thanks @pioneerguy600 for your advice on installing them it worked beautifully!

And thank you @trains for being so supportive and taking me under your wing!

Rebuild has started and coming along nicely

 

[rupedoggy]

Looking good Mate. Krikes but that thing is clean eh what? When you put that ring squeezer onto the top of the piston, leave a little of the piston sticking up so you can start the cylinder down easier. Mike

 

[Mad Professor]

Nice clean work Tom!

A piston support, will make putting the 2nd circlip in, and sliding the jug on a lot easier.

 

[Matt93eg]

Looking good.

 

[NCPT]

Looks nice, almost surgical lol. How are you getting those parts so clean?

 

[dmb2613]

use plenty of oil on assy. I use the oil I make the mix out of

 

[67L36Driver]

Spring rate is in pounds force per inch of deflection.

Scaling one of them little buggers up the rate would be 200 #/inch or more I think.

Many,many of them are in the far reaches of the garage. Along with a goodly supply of ‘E’ clips. [emoji90]

 

[Van462]

I have placed the gallon zip lock bags over a piston while putting clips in before. You can see thru it but it prevents the clip from reaching orbit.

 

[Bob Hedgecutter]

Told ya so!
A magnet is a wonderful thing for finding those wee parts that fly off into the never never's, if you have a rough idea of the proximity, few passes with a magnet (old speaker magnets work great) over the area suspected will usually yield results.

 

[pioneerguy600]

I was warned so many times “careful, circlips go flying never to be seen again!”

I didn’t doubt this, but I didn’t quite realise just how much energy these little things have! I took the advice of being careful so I put a towel around the piston and my hands. Gave it a little push, lifted my thumb to see and Woooosh! *flingggggggggggg” it went as it literally vanished out my hands, over my shoulder and off into the abyss! Carefully I listened as it went on it’s journey so I had a vague idea of where it was. Some how, some way I found it after a minute of searching! Those little clips have some crazy built up energy!!!!! Thanks @pioneerguy600 for your advice on installing them it worked beautifully!

And thank you @trains for being so supportive and taking me under your wing!

Rebuild has started and coming along nicely

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Looking great ,Tom. I have yet to loose one, all my spares are in there plastic tray, none hiding anywhere else.

 

[Van462]

I typically find the missing one just after I open the bag for its replacement

 

[Vintage Engine Repairs]

Looking good Mate. Krikes but that thing is clean eh what? When you put that ring squeezer onto the top of the piston, leave a little of the piston sticking up so you can start the cylinder down easier. Mike

Thanks mate took 3 days to dismantle, clean and dry in an oven. I brought it back from the Uk, on my journey back here in Oz. Went to Italy and Dubai on the way back so it needed to be spotless for customs ha. Yes great advice I figured that out when I tried to align the piston and couldn’t hah thanks again!

 

[Vintage Engine Repairs]

Nice clean work Tom!

A piston support, will make putting the 2nd circlip in, and sliding the jug on a lot easier.

thanks mate! one came with the kit I brought including the ring compressor, I did use it after the photo holding the piston and you’re right it did help sliding that jug on hah

 

[Vintage Engine Repairs]

Looks nice, almost surgical lol. How are you getting those parts so clean?

Hey mate thank you! I use a degreaser and water, then I agitate stubborn parts sometimes with a tooth brush, cotton bud and tooth pick or skewer then stick it in the oven to dry! It had to be spotless as I took this saw on the plane with me back into australian

 

[Vintage Engine Repairs]

use plenty of oil on assy. I use the oil I make the mix out of

Hey mate yes great advice! I brought myself an oil can I filled with 2t oil and used it. I found it to be really helpful in getting the oil right where I need it! Brought another can yesterday that I will fill with bar oil so I can re oil the chain and nose sprocket after cleaning I may even get one more for fuel / oil mix for squirting into the carb for difficult to start saws and testing, but I wonder if the fuel will damage anything? It’s stihls premixed fuel so it shouldn’t I don’t think?

 

[Vintage Engine Repairs]

Spring rate is in pounds force per inch of deflection.

Scaling one of them little buggers up the rate would be 200 #/inch or more I think.

Many,many of them are in the far reaches of the garage. Along with a goodly supply of ‘E’ clips. [emoji90]

Interesting stuff! I figured they may jump out, but they literally teleport!

At least you have a nice supply of them, somewhere

 

[Vintage Engine Repairs]

I have placed the gallon zip lock bags over a piston while putting clips in before. You can see thru it but it prevents the clip from reaching orbit.

I love this idea!!! Thanks for that tip

 

[Vintage Engine Repairs]

Told ya so!
A magnet is a wonderful thing for finding those wee parts that fly off into the never never's, if you have a rough idea of the proximity, few passes with a magnet (old speaker magnets work great) over the area suspected will usually yield results.

That is brilliant! I have 4 large round magnets from the underside of my parts tray I removed - I hated how everything would get pulled to one of 4 corners! They are slowly getting repurposed, but this is up there with the most useful of them! Thank you

 

[Vintage Engine Repairs]

Looking great ,Tom. I have yet to loose one, all my spares are in there plastic tray, none hiding anywhere else.

You have set the bar high haha, it was such a great feeling finding it! I had a spare pair but they weren’t OEM, but came with my meteor piston. I put OEM in, but would you have felt just as comfortable with meteor? Or the ones that come with meteor? Thanks again for the installing advice

 

[Vintage Engine Repairs]

I typically find the missing one just after I open the bag for its replacement

Haha this is one of those funny ways of life!