cleaning a piston

[outboard]

Hi folks, just searched the forum but can't find any help on this one.
My piston, having now been un-seized needs a good clean, mainly in the area of the rings. The rings are flush with the piston so I guess they're worn and probably stuck with rust. How will I tackle the cleaning without damaging the piston? I'm going to hone the cylinder so I'll be fitting new rings.

Any advice would be great.

Gerard

[philj]

Hi,
For my first attempt I put mine in a pan of oil and boiled it on the stove in the kitchen, allowed it to cool, and then rolled it on the chopping board. When the rings started to move I attempted to remove them with feeler gauges. This was successful on the first ring, but i broke the second one on the last 1/4 inch.
My next attempt went better on another engine that was not a gull! Put it on a boil wash in the dishwasher, then over night in the freezer, then back into the dishwasher again. Came out perfect and was able to rebuild the engine with the original rings.
Oh and always keep those broken rings to clean out the grooves on pistons, they are the correct size and always break with a sharp edge, Ideal!
Regards
Phil

[40TPI]

The rings are probably 100% serviceable and not worn. They having been living squashed up against the wall of the bore and are now seized in that position.

Once again I'd recommend a long patient pause, endless cups of tea whilst you soak that piston in some diesel, petrol, WD40 or whatever you have to hand. You might also get a 440ml aerosol can of Deep Patience too.....

A little patience and maybe a little heat after a good long soak and there is every likelihood that you can re-use the rings you have. What do you have to lose? Try a very gentle levering with a very thin screwdriver in the gap after good soak. The hardest part is to start freeing the end. Once you have half an inch length moving the odd thou just keep pressing it back into the groove and then lever it out a thou .... Be very careful on the levering out bit; it is cast iron and will fracture without warning.... Nobody can tell you how how much is too much levering... you have to learn to feel it in your fingertips! Eventually you really won't have to be levering out... it will be jumping out of the groove as you go further round! Aim to be measuring time to do this in hours rather than seconds. If it stops freeing up let it soak awhile longer and come back the next day if need be.. No rush!. And yes you may snap one, we all do from time to time but you will get to learn the "feel"..... Little by little work you way round the piston .. keep adding copious WD40 or diesel or whatever you like. Eventually it will free up all the way round.... As you go you will be able to clean the detritus out the groove in the piston....in fact it will flush /run out into the palm of the hand as you keep adding more WD40 to facilitate the movement of the ring . Use Tesco/Lidl/Aldi/Sainbury/Co-Op green ali oxide pan scrub material to clean the piston. It doesn't have to be all that clean! Cosmetic might please you but will make sod all difference in performance. Likewise the honing. Use the same thing to break the glaze on the bore; use the money saved on a hone to buy a workshoppe manual?

Peter

[outboard]

Thanks guys, didn't realise I was still on track. I really thought the rings were gone and the whole thing needed honed. I already have the piston soaking in diesel for the past week, so I'll now use my time to give the cylinder a clean with a kitchen pad. Your help is much appreciated. As for patience, I'm going knowhere till the weather changes so there's absolutely no haste. Thanks guys.

Gerard

[rosbullterier]

A pair of new rings are only about £12. I'll guarantee the new rings will have considerably more spring and sprung diameter than the old ones. Considering your trouble to prepare the bore to new spec it deserves new rings.

[charlesp]

I perhaps should add apoint here about the 'hot cycle in the dishwasher' method.

It is absolutely essential that your Current Primary Woman is not aware of the whole business; they have an irrational fear of mechanical things being cleaned in what they see as one of their domestic machines. This holds true even for those females who never ever use the aforementioned article. Beware.

[outboard]

I had a similar thought as I was reading that bit. Maybe it would be wiser to pass on that idea. I am no different to all you guys, it appears we all face the same dilemna wherever we are in the world, "just can't find a woman who understands Seagulls"! And I don't mean the ones that target their washing line.

Gerard

[chris]

my partner is an artist and thinks seagulls are pretty, but also thinks seagull owners and fanatics are very odd.
with stuck rings use a small light hammer or a small drive with a hammer and tap the rings lightly all round and they will come out of the groove, trying to lever them out will break them as they break very easily.
I personally wouldn't try to save them as they are cheap and a new set of rings won't hurt an old outboard

[charlesp]

They can be quite unreasonable. Mine has actually forbidden the presence indoors of any outboard; I thought Featherweight on its stand in the dining room was a most attractive talking point, but no it had to go.

Yet I allow the expenditure on such things as colour coordinated throws on the bed, despite utterly failing to see the point of them.

Am I too soft?

[Todd]

Mine has actually forbidden the presence indoors of any outboard. Yet I allow the expenditure on such things as colour coordinated throws on the bed, despite utterly failing to see the point of them. Am I too soft?

Absolutely. When they get too uppity you must threaten to withhold sex until they're willing to listen to reason. Let us know how you make out.

[outboard]

The last post was my last post, I'm in the spare room.