How to loosen stuck piston rings(IH 400)

SDE · Aug 17, 2009

I have the piston soaking in my parts cleaner for tonight, but I doubt they will be any better tomorrow morning. Will heating them with a propane torch work them loose? Would my oven or gas grill do a better job of getting them loosened up?
Thank you
Steve

c1802362 · Aug 17, 2009

I wouldn't put a torch on the pistons. Try putting the piston into varnish/gum remover cleaner for a few days. If you have access to an ultrasonic cleaner, put the pistons and heated cleaner in and let sit for a few hours.

You may have to repeat this a few times. Be patient.

The issue with a torch or oven is that you're heating both the piston and the rings at the same time, which doesn't do you a lot of good as far as forcing the parts apart. The downside is that you might easily distort the piston if not heated correctly with a torch, and you need some way of anchoring the piston so that you can put leverage against the rings. If the piston is aluminum, you run the risk of damaging the ring grooves trying to pry the cast iron or steel rings out.

Let us know what you try....

Art

old · Aug 17, 2009

Fill in the blanks!! Is the piston in or out of the engine??? Parts cleaner is not a lube and is only a cleaner so NO it will not do much. As for heat ya it will work because you will need new pistons after you do that. ATF and soaking is probably the best and if you need a pan with ATF and about 200-250 degrees in and oven no hotter

Mike Farmer · Aug 18, 2009

Very very carefully tap just the ring all the way around with a straight pein hammer. Then put them in a bucket of BOILING water. Thats heat without heat stress, and no single over heated point. I know that the rings and the pistons will get the same amount of heat, but they are dissimilar metals and will expand at a different rate. You might like to just bite the bullet and buy new rings right away, cos 50% of the time you'll end up doing that anyway. MTF

Anonymous-0 · Aug 18, 2009

Get a small chisel or punch and the rings will break out easily. You will be done in about 10 minutes. You need new rings anyway.

Germ · Aug 18, 2009

Get a can of Fluid Film and spray them. It won't take long for them to free up.

SDE · Aug 18, 2009

Yes, it is out of the engine. Won't it be great to be able to soak a whole tractor in a parts cleaner tank? or even just an engine? I definitely do not want to wreck the piston.Thank you
SDE

SDE · Aug 18, 2009

I tapped on the rings last night and I wasn't seeing any progress. I will see about getting some FLUID FILM or try the boiling water.
Thank you
SDE

El Toro · Aug 18, 2009

I would try & break the old rings as been suggested. You will need to clean those ring lans
thoroughly. You're going to need new rings. You should have enough room where the ring gap is
to use a small drift & hammer. Hal

SDE · Aug 18, 2009

This engine seems to be in very good shape. The center main bearing had about .0018 clearance and the #2 and #3 rod bearing had .002. The sleeves do not have any noticeable wear at the top or the bottom. The rings show some wear, but are not sharpe enough to cut my fingers yet. The piston skirts are not grooved or rough. If I can get the rings loose on this piston. I believe I can put it all back together again and have a good engine. I bought this as a parts tractor and I am trying to determine its condition and value. I know I can make more money parting it out but I feel that should be a last resort type of option. The #2 piston was stuck and Now that it is out I don't want to put any more money in to it, if I end up scrapping it.
Thank you
Steve

Too Far Gone · Aug 18, 2009

It takes a steady hand,but I once used a dremel with a very thin cutting disc and split the rings on two 560 pistons to get them dug out.They had set long enough there was no choice.You could have soaked them in every witches brew known to man,and still been waiting when you died

MeanGene1 · Aug 18, 2009

Brake fluid works very well for breaking the rings loose, soak it overnight, give it a light workout with the flat side of a light pein hammer, repeat until loose. If the rings and the rest of the engine are indeed in good shape, no reason you can't re-use them if they don't get damaged getting them out

JT · Aug 20, 2009

I had an H that had rings stuck...really tight. I put the rod in a vise, took a small punch and chisel and slowly worked them you, a little bit at a time. The finally came out. If they are stuck in the grooves, just buy a set of new rings. More than likely the rings will not seat real well after being stuck for so long.
Jim

Anonymous-0 · Aug 20, 2009

What is sticking the rings- is it fuel gum or oxidation? If they're gummed, I'd use Gumout followed by a soak in two-stroke fuel. Two-stroke oil is pretty slippery, and the gasoline carries it into tight places well. Spraying some Gumout into the soak will help, but the Gumout in the screwtop can seems to not be worth a hoot.

If oxidation, I'd try some heat/cool cycles by heating the piston in front of the salamander and dunking in fuel oil- naturally, keep it turning so as to heat evenly in case it gets hotter than you epected. It's a good way to conveniently get a lot of hot/cool cycles in a short time. 400F or so will drive the moisture out of the oxidation. Some judicious tapping with a hammer handle will help.

You could also chuck the pistons in the lathe and cut the rings out with a HSS tool you've ground narrower than the ring groove.

As mentioned above, you can work the ends of a ring with a punch, freeing it a little at a time, flexing it as you go.

How to loosen stuck piston rings(IH 400)

SDE

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c1802362

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old

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Mike Farmer

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Anonymous-0

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Germ

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SDE

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SDE

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El Toro

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SDE

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Too Far Gone

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MeanGene1

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JT

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Anonymous-0

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