The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop piston ring install

is there a trick to it or a special tool to expand the rings? i just bent a number of the old ones taking them off, id like to put the new ones on with out bending them.

Which rings did you bend? I assume you're referring to the steel rails on the oil ring assemblies, as trying to bend a cast ring will result in it breaking- - - -they're cast, and very brittle. Cast compression rings need to be stretched to install them, never twisted. There's a ring installation tool that does that, but be careful not to stretch the rings more than necessary. They can break from over-stretching, too. The oil ring rails need to have one end started into the ring groove, and carefully spiralled onto the piston - - - -not stretched at all. Be sure the corrugated expander between the rails has the ends butted together, not overlapped.
Jerry