Is my piston ring salvageable?

[Snoopy1971]

Ok, so I am doing a top end rebuild and got a kit from AA Performance ... a set of their 88mm thick walled pistons & cylinders and new heads bored out (yeah they sent me the heads and forgot to bore them, so now waiting on the new set)

So I checked the ring gaps, clocked the rings (the cylinder casting sucks as there is a gusset between the fins on each side of the cylinder, so I had to clean them all out with a dremel and a cutting disc).

So I went to put the pistons back in the cylinders. All the vids I have watched, the piston just slips right down into the cylinder from the ring compressor with a little tap no problem ... yeah not mine!!!

So I have it compressed with a ring compressor, but it would never go down into the cylinder. It would get hung up on the 1st ring below the oil scraper every time I tried. Anyone else ever have this problem?

Is this salvageable:

This is the best I could get to look bending back to shape:

But it still sticks out a little if I put it back in the piston with the oil scraper.

Guess I need to get a new set?

I believe AA are the only ones that make the 88mm thick walled P & Cs ... so I think I have to get the rings from them ... they have a set that is 2mm x 2mm x 5mm made by Grant:

https://aapistons.com/products/grant-88mm-piston-ring-set

It seems everywhere else I look online, the only Grant 88mm set I find is 1.5mm x 1.5mm x 5mm

I guess there are 2 diff 88mm sets based upon if its the thick walled kit or a slip in kit.
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1968 Bug

[busman78]

Are you putting the piston in from the bottom of the cylinder or from the top of the cylinder? If from the bottom up you are going to have issues, mainly from the piston skirt open area.

As for the ring - get a new one

[Snoopy1971]

[Frank Bassman]

My advice:

Get Grant rings. Cheap insurance since AA rings have been hit or miss from what I have experienced.

If they are Grant, disregard.

Still, I'd not use that damaged ring.


-Frank

[Snoopy1971]

[Multi69s]

Have you read any of the VW manuals? Why are you putting the pistons in from the head side? Standard Procedure: Install the piston to the rod, compress the rings, install the cylinder. There is a reason for changing this procedure and there is no need to reinvent the wheel.
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69 road Bug 2110
73 Squareback - 2L, T4, Automatic W/ AC
Gone, but many fond memories 69 Baja Bug 2010 - 5 Rib Bus Transaxle
Gone but not forgotten 72 Baja Bug 2010
My builds
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[busman78]

Easier to slip piston in cylinder from head side while on bench, slide piston partially out bottom just enough to receive the pin, have rod pin partly installed, put one circlip in then install piston/cylinder assembly to the rod, slide rod in all the way, second circlip, slide cynider to case and call it done. Standard proceedure means there is always another way with less chance of ring damage.

[Snoopy1971]

[modok]

Probably the end of the cylinder was not adequately chamfered, and that's why you could not get it in.
I would not have bothered to chamfer the top, because most humans prefer to go in the back door with aircooled cylinders.

the three rules of putting a thing in a hole:


-check the fit before jamming it in there
-chamfer leading edges
-apply appropriate lubricant

Do I need to made a youtube vid about the three rules?

[Multi69s]