Cylinder reinstall

[twisted]

Hi... I had to remove the 2,4,6 bank of cylinders to replace a bent connecting rod... I was wondering if anyone had a suggestion on how to reinstall the cylinders without the use of the fancy honda tools for the rings?

thanks

[John Schmidt]

If you're talking about a ring compressor, when I split the case on the GL1200 I used large hose clamps as compressors to assemble the halves. To remove them you need to leave enough finger room to get in there and unscrew them with a screwdriver and open them up to remove. I'm not familiar how wide spread the rings are top to bottom on a Valkyrie piston, but the hose clamps I used were just wide enought to cover all the rings on the 1200 pistons. Worth a look at least.

[ridingron]

If you have a hose clamp that idea will work. I haven't bought one for decades but how much are they. 25?

[John Schmidt]

If you have a hose clamp that idea will work. I haven't bought one for decades but how much are they. 25?

Hose clamps? No, should be less than $5 ea for those big enough to go around a piston. And if they're not wide enough to cover all the rings, cover just the top ones to get them in the cylinder, then loosen the hose clamp to move it down and cover the bottom ring(s). In years past on automotive engines I've cut a beer can or coke can open and slipped the hose clamp down over it. Worked as good as a commercial compressor and a lot less $$, plus I got to drink the contents first. 

[twisted]

Thanks guys.... I just thought that the hose clamps might scratch the piston.... I was trying some thin aluminium sheet with zap straps... but will try... Cheers

[Gregory Scott 16248]

If you have a hose clamp that idea will work. I haven't bought one for decades but how much are they. 25?

Hose clamps? No, should be less than $5 ea for those big enough to go around a piston. And if they're not wide enough to cover all the rings, cover just the top ones to get them in the cylinder, then loosen the hose clamp to move it down and cover the bottom ring(s). In years past on automotive engines I've cut a beer can or coke can open and slipped the hose clamp down over it. Worked as good as a commercial compressor and a lot less $$, plus I got to drink the contents first. 

You can cut an aluminum soda pop / beer can to the width that you need and then use the hose clamps around the aluminum can to compress the rings.

[John Schmidt]

Uh...Greg...that's what I said, except I used a beer can which has the same properties in the container, not the contents. 

And no, the hose clamps won't scratch the pistons. The inside surface is smooth, or at least should be.