Saving Old Seagulls

Wondering how important are the studs on a piston.

By studs I mean the little bits that stop the rings from spinning. One got

damaged on my 102 and now it's pushed in slightly and loose. Would it be

better to remove it altogether or risk further damage trying to repair it.

Any thoughts appreciated.

The pin is there to stop the piston rings rotating in the groove, if they rotate you run the risk of the ends of the ring getting trapped in the exhaust port, wrecking the ring & damaging the piston & the bore, perhaps beyond repair.
I think the pins are tapered so it might be possible to tap it home, using a nail punch, while supporting the piston with the lump on the inside resting on a piece of metal in the vice.

Thanks Charles.
I hadn't thought of that. I thought I might just lose some compression.
The pin might be pushed in a bit too far to risk knocking in further.
Looks like I need a new piston!