Ok, I've never built an engine with wire ring pin retainers. I tried getting one in and having no luck. I don't want to mar anything up with screwdrivers. So what is the trick to getting these little things in? What ever happened to a simple snap ring lol......

Thanks in advance

Stretch it out and roll it in. Like an accordian.

the directions for them will say to stretch them out about 1/2-3/4" of an inch.. i used to pull them apart more like a full inch.. then slip one end in place and the spin it in.. once you do one of two you will see how easy thay can be..once you pop it into pace it will stay even better since it now is spring loaded where you pulled them apart... it's like a key chain ring.. while it is together it is very hard to get started.. but if you pull them apart alittle then you can get your keys on and off easier..

STOP!

Wire locks are NOT Spiro-lox!

Don't stretch anything.

I think you guys are talking about spiro locks. I just have the round wire ones.

I didn't get any instructions, just a bag with a part number from EEI

It's called experience......

But generally, I start them out with bottom of wire lock & place it in the groove around 5 O'clock position, & work my way counterclockwise pressing it in with a large flat blade screw driver, mainly putting alot of downward pressure on the lock around the 12-1 O'clock position. Once you do a few, they are fairly easy. Everything I have made custom now has wire locks in it, as they are superior to a sprio-lock, hence why Cup engines have them in.

They are almost easier if you stretch it out like a coil spring, then almost thread it in, but dont thread it in forewards, thread in reverse works the best. im hopeing you are talking spiral locks?

i have gotten pretty decent at it with just my fingers..

OOOOOPS i didnt read far enough, i havent even seen wire locks.

sorry

Kasey

Opps..me too.. thought he was talking about spiral locks....

Never personally used them but whatched a guy at PRI install and take them out. He was actually pushing the product over spiral locks. He didn't use a screwdriver. It may have been the same guys who make the spiral lock removal tool. I want to say he used something about the equivalent of a long wrist pin. And he just simply popped them in all at once. The removal tool had a few tricks to it and he wasn't going out of his way to explain how it worked. He did say that was the hard part of dealing with wire locks.

I think this guy is tied in with Precision Product in NC.

Leon

My engine builder has a tool for those and care is needed during the install.

They're strange little critters, you need to get one end in the groove then work it around. I had to do a bunch of deutz's with them. They tend to fly across the shop when not doing it right... Deutz called them "circlips".

Well I'm def doing it wrong lol... Several of them have flown around the garage. I haven't got one in yet as I'm waiting on a good explanation.

Ryan I'll try your method and see if I can get it to work.

A few of you guys are confused on I what I have. It's basicly .063 wire i believe made into a circle. I am not using spiro locks (the ones that look like a slinky when you pull them apart)

Wish me luck guys, I may go back out tonight and try again.

Can someone make a wrist pin lock smiley with little c-clips flying everywhere?? I sure could use it

I hope you never have to take them out or you'll be looking for a "throwing piston
and rod through plate glass window smiley".

Make sure the pins you have have the chamfered ends for use with the wire rings. I had a new set of pistons and pins come in with the wrong pins. You can get one in but not the other.
Bob

Jesse, can you post a pic of this part you are talkeing about, Icant understand what you mean of this wire rings?
Do you mean something like this : http://www.thisoldtractor.com/gtbender/mg_images/starter_solenoid_32.jpg ?

Just went through this on a Nascar motor I was workng on and after the builder watched me TRY to get those in, he finally pulled out an installation tool that works like a charm. Don`t have a part # but I`m sure you can locate one.

Well my fingers are sore, but they are sore from trying to install, still didn't get any in at that point.

I stepped back to give my fingers a rest, went to sears and believe it or not they had the tool to install wire locks!!!!!

Got home and 70 mins later all the locks are in and rods are attached to pistons. I'll take a pic of the tool. My batteries are dead in my cam so I'll have to get some. Once I had this tool it was so easy. If I had this from the start my fingers wouldn't be sore now, and I wouldn't have had to search the garage for wire locks

Thanks for all the help