Over the years I've never used a ring expander as I've always found it easy enough to install rings without any special tool (and I've always thought the tool was real expensive). Well, as with so many things, I've gotten smarter as I get older. The rings for the 427 project were VERY expensive and I enjoy having pain-free thumbs so I bought a ring expander. Cost me all of $7.00!

Anyway, the tool is nicely chromed but that presents a problem. The little pads that hold the ends of the ring are so slippery when the ring is expanded that the ring will tend to slip off the expander which if it did so at full ring expansion bad things could happen. I need to find a way to add a little traction to the pads on the tool.

My first thought was to dip the tips of the tool in that rubberized tool handle dip stuff. I just wonder if it will be durable enough to hold up to the pressure the rings will exert while expanding the rings.

Has anyone else ever run into this problem and did you come up with a viable solution?

Is this what you have?

http://www.etoolcart.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=402

I've had a prob. from time to time too, I think I squeezed the place where the rings fit in together a bit.

That looks pretty much the same, my pair came from Sears (Craftsman).

I think I'll try the tool handle dip stuff, it if doesn't help I can always peel it off.

scuff it up with a file or light grinding? I had the same problem with a new finish hammer I bought it was so slick it sliding on the nail heads and bending them. A couple of swipes with a fine rat tail file gave it some bite and solved the problem.

OrrieG has the right idea I think, probably just have to knock off some of that shiney chrome.

Rich,
Just my opinion but ... if you are not very careful with that type of ring expander, you tend to stretch the ring a lot more than you do with your fingers. I dont think your problem has to do with the finish, but the shape of the "wedges" where the ends of the ring fit. I had to "reshape" mine to keep the ring from popping out. Personally, I can do it faster and easier by hand.

mine looks like the one in the link above. It has V shaped pocket-like jaws, been using it for about 20 years. I've never had a problem on it.

My brand-new really old one I got when I put my hopped up 409 "W" motor together years AND years ago expands the ring in like "circular-fashion"!

In other words it kinda expands like holding your two thumbs and index fingers together making circles and then making the circles bigger!!

It's kinda like this one in a way??

http://www.truckpartsproshop.com/piston_ring_expander.html

I never liked it so it just sits in it's box like new now after all these years...

But like said, spinning rings on takes a lover with a "slow hand and an easy touch" like Conway Twitty used to sing about!!!

pdq67

But like said, spinning rings on takes a lover with a "slow hand and an easy touch" like Conway Twitty used to sing about!!!

pdq67

The paperwork that came with the rings specifically cautioned against rolling the rings on. Any tortional bending can permanently damage the rings and/or crack the plasma sprayed face of the rings.

I did a test drive with the ring expander and found it worked well (other than the slipping I mentioned). It allows me to expand the ring just far enough to get it on the piston without going too far. If it ends up being more work than without, I'll just use the old thumbs method again. I coated the tips with tool handle goop tonight, I'll let everyone know how it works once I get a chance to file my rings to size this weekend. Gad, how I hate filing rings!

For anyone that cares, I installed the rings today. A few days ago I used some tool handle plastic goop spray paint, not the dipping kind, on the tips of the expander tool. Today it provided just enough additional traction and not a single ring slipped off the tool. Everything was installed without a hitch.