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How to free stuck piston rings? Make piston stew!!

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Old 06-01-2007, 02:38 PM
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Default How to free stuck piston rings? Make piston stew!!

I am rebuilding an LS/vtec for my DelSol build and ran into some SERIOUSLY stuck piston rings. Everything I tried wouldn't free (soaked them in PB, tapped at them, cleaned around the rings, blah blah blah) them so it called for extreme measures...and a hell of a good trick.

Ingredients:

Pistons with stuck rings
Pot
Stove
Enough water to submerge pistons

Cook over medium to high heat and bring to a boil. Boil over high heat for approximately 20 minutes, then start removing every five minutes and attempting to remove the piston rings.



Rings came off like a charm

Old 06-01-2007, 02:49 PM
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Default Re: How to free stuck piston rings? Make piston stew!! (RC000E)

Thats a good idea but how was the stew Feed it to your mother in law
Old 06-01-2007, 03:28 PM
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Default Re: How to free stuck piston rings? Make piston stew!! (Ubertec)

The stew was damn good....damn good
Old 06-01-2007, 03:44 PM
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Default Re: How to free stuck piston rings? Make piston stew!! (Ubertec)

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Ubertec &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Thats a good idea but how was the stew Feed it to your mother in law </TD></TR></TABLE>

hahaha
Old 06-01-2007, 04:02 PM
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Default

haha..first baking headlights, now this. but hey whatever works. good idea man.
Old 06-01-2007, 05:10 PM
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Default Re: How to free stuck piston rings? Make piston stew!! (RC000E)

Wow... Those yellow piggies! Im so hoping thats your mom's kitchen or your wife has seriously bad taste.
Old 06-01-2007, 06:10 PM
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Default Re: How to free stuck piston rings? Make piston stew!! (1Bar GSR)

Thats called a girlfriend who can't turn down her grandmothers hand me downs. I think they're pretty damn retarded lookin, but then again I do much cooking aside from this here stew
Old 06-01-2007, 08:03 PM
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Default Re: How to free stuck piston rings? Make piston stew!! (RC000E)

um..i hope ur not reusing those pistons?? if the rings were stuck that bad then the lands are probably collapsed
Old 06-01-2007, 09:22 PM
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Default Re: How to free stuck piston rings? Make piston stew!! (RC000E)

Seriously toss that pot out, or clean it with some harsh abrasive chemicals. Although its stainless, reminant hydorcarbons are not something you want in your brats or spagetti.

Good alternate use of cookware though
Old 06-01-2007, 10:34 PM
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Default Re: How to free stuck piston rings? Make piston stew!! (RC000E)

Holy Moly, I have that same "Chock full o nuts" coffee can! It's been sitting in my garage holding nails since the 60's.
Old 06-01-2007, 11:02 PM
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Default Re: How to free stuck piston rings? Make piston stew!! (JDogg)

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by JDogg &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">um..i hope ur not reusing those pistons?? if the rings were stuck that bad then the lands are probably collapsed</TD></TR></TABLE>

No really...they're not, it's just combustion byproduct that gets behind rings and sticks them...it's quite common in higher mile motors. The deposits behind the ring actually build and push the ring out harder and harder, and it breaks down the oil barrier. The higher heat just further "cooks" the carbon and sticks the ring worse. The tell tale of this occurrence is that the rings look HIGHLY polished. Sometimes the metal will even break down kind of "weld" them in a very loose sense.

Boiling them just allows the water to work it's way behind the ring and loosen everything, as well as expand the piston assisting with breaking the carbon up. The grooves are clean now, and the new rings are installed and quite free. Rod's have new ARP's installed and have been reconditioned as well.



I've experienced this on many rebuilds I've done in the past. It happens....and the pistons are fine, as are the cylinders which are now sitting happily with less than .001 of variation...no taper really and no out of roundness. Cylinder bores were all good lingering around 3.190". Motor going back together tomorrow.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by HiProfile &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Seriously toss that pot out, or clean it with some harsh abrasive chemicals. Although its stainless, reminant hydorcarbons are not something you want in your brats or spagetti.

Good alternate use of cookware though </TD></TR></TABLE>

Yeah, it's a cheap *** pot that is a real thin material. It wasn't a pot we used. Good for searchers and readers to know though that I didn't mention....don't reuse the pot
Old 06-02-2007, 06:56 AM
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Default Re: How to free stuck piston rings? Make piston stew!! (RC000E)

i didnt realize those were stock pistons... makes since now

the only time i have ever had stuck rings was when hte pistons melted, i never try to reuse the stock mess we throw it out.
Old 06-02-2007, 09:31 AM
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Default Re: How to free stuck piston rings? Make piston stew!! (JDogg)

No pics of the hot dogs you cooked after wards in the same pot ?
Old 06-02-2007, 09:49 AM
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Default Re: How to free stuck piston rings? Make piston stew!! (RCautoworks)

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 1Bar GSR &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Wow... Those yellow piggies! Im so hoping thats your mom's kitchen or your wife has seriously bad taste. </TD></TR></TABLE>

lol
Old 06-03-2007, 09:56 AM
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Default Re: How to free stuck piston rings? Make piston stew!! (RCautoworks)

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by RCautoworks &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">No pics of the hot dogs you cooked after wards in the same pot ? </TD></TR></TABLE>

Yummy!
Old 06-03-2007, 04:32 PM
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Default Re: How to free stuck piston rings? Make piston stew!! (White Smoke)

I have seen a ton of stuck rings on honda motors. You know, the ones where people ask why it smokes so much.
Old 06-05-2007, 12:09 PM
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Default Re: How to free stuck piston rings? Make piston stew!! (Runnerdown)

Yep....had stuck rings, then I ran into stuck *** rod bearing caps. I pressed the new ARP's, then took the rods to be recon'd...well I guess it distored the cap some before they were resized. The caps were a ***** as well.

No easy trick in removing those. I don't often do the stock rod/arp combo, so I haven't come across this much. Prior times I've had them, they came off like stock. This time I took a mallet, loosened the rod bolts to where only a couple of threads were engaged, then held the rod with a couple fingers through the big end. I then tapped back and forth quickly on each rod bolt, and they came apart.

I inside mic'd them already, but I like to do a plastigauge anyway as backup. So that's next here today. Have to see what happens on that one.
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