how can I put my engine back together?

GoldenMotor.com

rozenaetr

New Member
Feb 2, 2009
10
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0
New Mexico
I took my engine apart for cleaning and am having a little trouble getting the cylinder back together. Attached is a photo. It seems that there are a few ill-fitted metal rings around the piston that are making it difficult for me to put the engine together again. Any tips would be much appreciated.

EDIT: I found out these are called piston rings.

 
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BarelyAWake

New Member
Jul 21, 2009
7,194
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Maine
The above is all true - however it's quite important to find and align the gaps in the rings with the two small retention pins that keep them from rotating;



It'll be a cause of much frustration and potential breakage if ya don't ;)
 

Outrunner

New Member
Dec 27, 2008
147
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0
Atlanta, Georgia
I took my engine apart for cleaning and am having a little trouble getting the cylinder back together. Attached is a photo. It seems that there are a few ill-fitted metal rings around the piston that are making it difficult for me to put the engine together again. Any tips would be much appreciated.

EDIT: I found out these are called piston rings.

You can use a hose clamp to squeeze the rings together as you slide the lubricated piston
back into the cylinder. It's very easy.
 

wildemere

New Member
Feb 12, 2008
269
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0
Newcastle
You should de-carbon the piston crown, rings and grooves while its apart.

Further dissassembly will be required though, you will have to remove the piston and risk loosing a clip then the rings risking a breakage. But the engine will run nicer for it.
 

FileStyle

New Member
May 27, 2008
719
7
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Decatur,IL
The above is all true - however it's quite important to find and align the gaps in the rings with the two small retention pins that keep them from rotating;



It'll be a cause of much frustration and potential breakage if ya don't ;)
I concur! wish I would have seen this first! waiting on my second set of rings now.
 

moronic_kaos

New Member
Apr 6, 2010
225
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0
Connecticut
I started a thread just like this 3 or 4 years ago when attempting to put my first Goped motor back together. Broke the first set, ordered a second and broke those too. When you're doing it, pretend those rings are made of pencil led. They break almost as easily. Slide that head over REAL gentle-like.

Finally, someone on GPN told me to cover the piston & cylinder in 2-stroke oil first if it's been sitting out for a long enough period of time for them to get kinda dry. Never broke a ring since.

You'll need a steady hand and a lot of patience the first time. Do them one at a time. Find the little stuck out dimple thing in the piston (rotate the ring to find it) and squeeze, then gently press over the cylinder. Then do the second (the dimple is usually in a different location for both rings). It's a pain, but it just takes practice.

BTW: If that's just been cleaned then I'm guessing you scraped a lot more than that amount of gasket off the base in the pic. Now is the best time to replace it if it needs replacing, as I'm sure you wont be thrilled to pop that sucker back when the motor ends up with an air leak.
 
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