Installation and Removal of Spiral Locks .... some Tips here
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Honda-Tech Member
Joined: Feb 2002
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From: Milky Way
Installation and Removal of Spiral Locks .... some Tips here
A good member of this Board asked me this week if I had any tips on installation of spiral locks in wrist pin bores. Frankly I didn't, I struggled just like everyone else in the past on installation, but that I would walk the shop floor this week with this question in mind and see what I could shake loose. Here is what I found.....and I hope anyone with better tips will share!
Removal: A couple of vendors make tools to help get the spiral locks out.
http://www.dansperformance.com/newsi...gine_tools.htm about 100 bucks I think.
better picture:
http://www.pitstopusa.com/images/ALL96450.jpg
Modification of old style spiral locks needed:
http://www.raceeng.com/images/catalog/4-CYLCAT.pdf
Removal Picks:
http://www.precisionmeasure.com/block18.htm
Now for installation, I could find no premade tools, but an old and good tech on the floor told me about his tool. It will take a little machining though.
Start with thick walled tube stock. Machine the entrance out of a thick walled tube so that it is funnel shaped. Have the included angle at about 5 degrees or less. Have the inlet big enough for the uncollapsed spiral lock to enter into the tube about a 1/2 inch or so. On the outlet end, machine the OD of the tube so that it just slips into the wrist pin hole. Bore the outlet ID out as much as you dare probably keeping about 0.015 wall thickness. Now make a ramrod with an OD that will just barely go thru the little ID you just bored. Machine down the end of the ramrod a bit so that it centers the spiral lock. Lube everything up and push the spiral lock into this compressor. You may have to make more than one ramrod if the spiral lock must compress a lot. He said, he could just push the spiral locks thru this compressor and into the piston without damage and quickly.
Note, I have not made one yet so can't verify the technique.
If one of you guys do, make sure you comment back on improvements, etc.
Regards,
BigMoose
[Modified by BigMoose, 11:08 AM 9/4/2002]
Removal: A couple of vendors make tools to help get the spiral locks out.
http://www.dansperformance.com/newsi...gine_tools.htm about 100 bucks I think.
better picture:
http://www.pitstopusa.com/images/ALL96450.jpg
Modification of old style spiral locks needed:
http://www.raceeng.com/images/catalog/4-CYLCAT.pdf
Removal Picks:
http://www.precisionmeasure.com/block18.htm
Now for installation, I could find no premade tools, but an old and good tech on the floor told me about his tool. It will take a little machining though.
Start with thick walled tube stock. Machine the entrance out of a thick walled tube so that it is funnel shaped. Have the included angle at about 5 degrees or less. Have the inlet big enough for the uncollapsed spiral lock to enter into the tube about a 1/2 inch or so. On the outlet end, machine the OD of the tube so that it just slips into the wrist pin hole. Bore the outlet ID out as much as you dare probably keeping about 0.015 wall thickness. Now make a ramrod with an OD that will just barely go thru the little ID you just bored. Machine down the end of the ramrod a bit so that it centers the spiral lock. Lube everything up and push the spiral lock into this compressor. You may have to make more than one ramrod if the spiral lock must compress a lot. He said, he could just push the spiral locks thru this compressor and into the piston without damage and quickly.
Note, I have not made one yet so can't verify the technique.
If one of you guys do, make sure you comment back on improvements, etc.
Regards,
BigMoose
[Modified by BigMoose, 11:08 AM 9/4/2002]
Honda-Tech Member
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 8,120
Likes: 3
From: Irvine, CA, usa
Re: Installation and Removal of Spiral Locks .... some Tips here (BigMoose)
Thanks for the research, Big Moose. I would have to see that installation tool work. Too good to be true. I wonder if anyone has better luck than me putting spiral locks in by hand?
I understand that if you put a spiral lock under a microscope, you will see 666 stamped on it.
I understand that if you put a spiral lock under a microscope, you will see 666 stamped on it.
