Re-inserting piston into cylinder head

[Freeman1100GS]

I had to take both cylinder head barrels off the left side of my R1100GS because I had to replace the L upper cam chain guide because I broke it when trying to break loose the cam chain sprocket.

I followed the advice of all of you here and I now have a new cam chain guide installed!!

Now I have to re-inserting piston into cylinder head as I start to put it back together but I have never done that before. How do I re-inserting piston into cylinder head and get past the piston rings too?

Is there a secret to doing it without having to remove the piston from the connecting arm?

 

[Schtum]

To clarify terms, I take it you mean that you want to reinsert the piston into the cylinder barrel.

This may help.... http://w6rec.com/duane/bmw/piston/ringtool.htm

 

[Smug]

You need to compress the piston rings. Be careful because they are very easy to break.

 

[Ian J Hartley]

Your probably going to need something like this which you can slide on and off via the con rod.

Or improvise something similar.

 

[The Other PaulG]

And just be happy you're not doing it on an inline 4...

 

[Deleted account 211025001]

There won't, I imagine, be room to use a ring compressor on an air head?

On my Guzzi (same shit really) I do the following:

On the piston get the ring gaps a third of the way around from each other (ie gaps should not line up).

Now, people all have their fave way of sliding the barrels down over the pistons, often involving home brewed tools with strips of metal/zip ties/swearing.
I still swear a lot but find easing the barrel down, one ring at a time as I compress the rings by hand. There is a chamfer at the bottom of the barrel that helps with this.

It is a bit of a knack and you will still swear a lot but take your time, don't force anything and you should be able to do it without too much of a problem.

Andres

 

[Steptoe]

There won't, I imagine, be room to use a ring compressor on an air head?

On my Guzzi (same shit really) I do the following:

On the piston get the ring gaps a third of the way around from each other (ie gaps should not line up).

Now, people all have their fave way of sliding the barrels down over the pistons, often involving home brewed tools with strips of metal/zip ties/swearing.
I still swear a lot but find easing the barrel down, one ring at a time as I compress the rings by hand. There is a chamfer at the bottom of the barrel that helps with this.

It is a bit of a knack and you will still swear a lot but take your time, don't force anything and you should be able to do it without too much of a problem.

Andres

On jobs such as this I take the barrel off with the piston still inside after removing the gudgeon pin.

 

[Deleted account 211025001]

On jobs such as this I take the barrel off with the piston still inside after removing the gudgeon pin.

There's always one

Andres

 

[DrFarkoff]

On jobs such as this I take the barrel off with the piston still inside after removing the gudgeon pin.

There's always one

Andres

Nope Two of us

I meant to put that earlier but feckin windows did an update and I forgot by the time it finished

 

[Welshman]

So take the Gudgeon pin out, fit the piston into the barrel VERY CAREFULLY on the bench, etc.

 

[Deleted account 211025001]

If you do ^^^this^^^ use a new gudgeon pin circlip/s

Andres

 

[Steptoe]

So take the Gudgeon pin out, fit the piston into the barrel VERY CAREFULLY on the bench, etc.

On this particular job there is no need to separate the piston and barrel. They can be removed as one piece.

 

[johnnyboy]

The simple way is always the best

Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk

 

[Deleted account 240831001]

I use the same method as Steptoe if only because it’s far easier to use a plastic hammer to beat the pistons into the bottoms of the barrels when everything is upside down on a bench.

After that you just slide the barrel over the studs far enough to be able to fit the gudgeon pin, push the piston down though the barrel so the small end bore is visible and turn the engine over with a spanner.

I’ve got to admit that I have put the pistons into the barrels with the valve cut out facing the wrong way but at least I didn’t get any further before noticing

 

[Tarka]

And just be happy you're not doing it on an inline 4...

And if you were, be happy you're not doing it on my six cylinder KZ1300.
Jeez, that cylinder block was heavy...two of us did it by hand... in 40 minutes.