HOW-TO Unseize Piston Rings

HOW-TO Unseize Piston Rings
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[@devilsoffspring5519]

Alternatively, soak rings in penetrating oil overnight, then use the torch the next day. Outdoors of course! These rings can probably be re-used, just soak them in rust remover and keep scrubbing with a wire brush until all the muck is gone. Clean ring grooves in piston, re-assemble and enjoy.

[@nelsonthekkath4830]

I used to get seized rings in two stroke engines by deteriorated fuel in chainsaws and other things. Two stroke is a bit difficult and must be careful since there is a pin to stop the ring from rotating. But I used to manage. And also broke the rings several times. Keep it up bro!!👍👍👍

[@mongolioose]

Another thing I appreciate about your videos is the audio, some of the guys out there have their levels way out of wack. Thanks for the effort you put in, and for sharing.

[@semco72057]

I was glad to see how you did that with that piston. You left me thinking of a mower I didn't use much and have parked out of the direct rain, but worry the engine may be locked up. It didn't have 20 hours of use on the mower before it was put away.

[@Flightstar]

Good on mentioning using brake cleaner (the chlorinated, non flammable stuff) on hot surfaces. The stuff transforms under heat and also ultraviolet light (electric welding) into a highly toxic gas than can kill, or cause permanent lung damage.

[@ronniebarker79]

Top tip donyboy73 6 years on and still helping others thumbs up m8

[@lesterkirby3367]

A spanner man all my life 59yrs now. Only one way to get stuck rings out..get a saspan put 2 or 3 lbs off BUTTER... IN... MELT it put piston in nice slow boil.. its works ever time ..an old spannar man showed me this trick years ago..🤗... helo from IRELAND...😉

[@howardcamp1291]

How long does it take for the rings to loosen

[@mcmaster22]

Thanks again Don. Every video of yours that I watch my confidence level grows. Again thanks for your help improving my skills. Have a Great weekend.

[@OldSkoolF]

Apple Cider Vinegar for a week... Cleans the Ring Grooves also... Will leave the Engine unharmed and ready to run with an Oil change. Courtesy of a couple of guys that taught me about Hot Rodding... Leo Murphy #2 in Model A's & Salvatore DiMarco "Googs" #1 in Model A's..

[@VintageOutboardMan]

First haha! Great video Don, I've got a few vintage outboard motors laying around that have stuck piston rings. I will definately give this methode a try! Have yourself a great weekend :)

[@chrisheffernan7540]

Very nice Don, great video as usual.

[@anthonywbelcher]

Brilliant thank you your method worked really well I freed off the piston ring on my chainsaw in just 2 minutes. Thank you much for making my life that little bit easier

[@redneckasmr-xd1gg]

what i did to my xr200r was put oil down the spark plug hole to give it enough compression to start then revved the piss out of it it ran 3 more years before im rebuilding it and it still ran just started smoking alittle. it dident have any compresstion and woldent fire without oil down the plug hole

[@holyvanguard]

I know this is an old video but thank you so much for this video I had such a hard time finding a video showing how to remove rings. I could only find how to install rings.

[@BrucesShop]

Thanks Don. I have the same problem on a pals tiller. Great video. Bruce

[@thebug4046]

good tip don the way i do it is heat and soke it Diesel ATF mix works good!

[@mgomez5606]

Donny, can you reuse them after you clean them up & the grooves?

[@nrgsmrt1]

Happy Birthday Don! I hope you have a great day. Tim.

[@hyzercreek]

Soak it in full strength vinegar for an hour. Best rust remover in the world. Rinse the vinegar off with water and then rubbing alcohol, rinse the alcohol off with gasoline or any solvent like kerosine or WD-40 which is stoddard solvent. Rings are free.

[@donyboy73]

thanks for the tip

[@thomasbradley5885]

I found it works better if I heat at the top of the piston rather than the side. The idea is to heat up the piston and make the ring slot wider so the ring loosens. If I heat up the ring itself, it expands and actually gets tighter in the slot.

[@knighthawk86855]

I always let the top of the piston soak over night in a mixture of marvel mystery oil and diesel fuel 50/50 mix.... also good for freeing a seized piston in an engine...but let that soak for at least 3 days

[@ChargerMiles007]

How true ("Lots of Tecumsehs come in with blown connecting rods") I have to agree with that statement. Good vid donyboy, I will have to remember the blow torch trick, so far I have only used penetrating oil and soaking time. I have been soaking a seized briggs lawnmower engine for a year in diesel, guess I better pull it out before it desolves!!! :)

[@garykrutsinger1651]

try marvel mystry oil i have seen it un stick motors that diesel wouldnt un stick i no sounds funny but give it a try

[@donyboy73]

gary krutsinger thanks for the tip

[@mattlawton4715]

It will be fine and clean by now

[@omcbob37]

Tapping the stuck rings with a large wooden dowel while heating them with the torch helps to loosen them up pretty quick.

[@phillipdavis4507]

I use to heat break fluid and soke them over night, usually worked👍

[@adam_-adam]

Great video, but i just have one ? Doesnt putting the torch on the rings mess up the springiness so it wont be as springy there for compression wont be as good?

[@DaisyHead666]

I poured a bit of penetrating oil inside the hole for the spark plug because the dirt bike i got had been sitting for a few months and it had gotten PMS (parked-motorcycle-syndrome) hopefully that works

[@Tree-feller]

Thanks for all the good advice, much appreciated!!

[@futbalgod]

Thanks for the great tip. You rock!

[@yoyomamamma2260]

Always great tip ! Thank you

[@compoundfracture]

Good job! I learned a little.

[@MajorHorstPower]

When that happens, I usually take the wrist pin and keeps out, turn it upside down, and either turn it into a little flower planter or use it for an ashtray in my shop!

[@paulbillings1791]

Yup. I have quite a few ashtrays.

[@josepeixoto3384]

This is like a stroll in the park,some have never seen really STUCK ON piston rings, like on a 3.0 mercruiser marine engine with water left inside of it for years; EACH ring needs to be center punched in more than 20 places, and broken off in 1/2 inch pieces; this is after heating,penetrating oil center punching the ring.,drilling on it etc etc; 2 hours each ring times 4 (2 pistons,the other 2,semi-ok); all just to save the pistons,they were like new,and they are expensive.

[@martystevens3969]

I'd spray 40WD. Heat could damage pistons. You could try mineral spirits. Soak it for awhile.

[@jimm3322]

Hey Don- I just picked up a few used (B&S 8-14hp) push blowers. The guy left them to rust outside for several years and now none of the cords can be pulled. My question is: Should I pull the shrouds and look for rust preventing the flywheel from turning? Or should I assume the pistons/rings are rusted to the cylinders and work on them?Many thanks for your help and all the great videos!Best regards- Jim

[@holyvanguard]

I'd personally start at the simple solutions first worst case scenario you maintenanced something that didn't fix the problem but it's always good to just check the simple stuff first that way you don't have the engine torn apart to find out there's still other smaller issues you didn't take care of first but that's just me and how I work on engines like that.

[@PeterAgostiniJdcap26]

Did you see how doc try did not to pry at piston edge 👍🏼

[@jamesmullins3219]

great video clip. Thank you

[@samfreeth9961]

Great Video worked for me, Thanks Dude!!

[@clockguy2]

Marvel mystery oil and a rubber or rawhide hammer. I tap it lightly around the ring gap and go gently around the ring as the ring pops out.

[@wysetech2000]

Automotive combustion chamber cleaner works well for freeing stuck piston rings. When nothing else works you do what you have to do.

[@jonienglish3231]

just picked up a used weedeater blower /vac sv200bv no start !!! new plug and has spark , sprayed brake kleens , still no start , inspected carb ,gasket , mounting spacer sealing gasket , took crank case cover checked seal , finally found the problem , low compression due to siezed ring !!!!!!!!!! now Soaking in CLR to remove Carbon

[@robertwaid2965]

Don eats lunch at subway. I seen the coupons on his work bench in the video. lol. Good video don. Hope everything going well for you.

[@philtrottier4442]

You said that the stucked rings on that engine was due to rusting and neglect.Can stucked rings in a car engine be caused by condensation that form rust. I always tought it was due to carbon deposits.

[@donyboy73]

yes it could if it sits long enough

[@Jv-sr8qx]

great idea ! thanks

[@TroyaE117]

Well-explained. Thanks.

[@639Beaver]

Great info.

[@kurtiskoppdrums]

Cool video : learning things here right on thanks and ya we have same vice lol high five

[@danielcaruso8940]

Can you post more videos on the 2-stroke gas scooter, i'm trying to fix up an old razorback g-scooter and I need all the help i can get!

[@MrMcbuck48]

Get it hot and drop it in some light cutting oil. P.S. where is your ring expander ?

[@icandoit20]

Hi Dony, I was wondering if you had ever use a mixture of acetone and ATF as a penetrating fluid. I saw a video on youtube that says it works better than even the high end penetrating fluids.

[@captainchaos3053]

Just chuck it in a bucket of boiling water. Push the rings in slightly, there is always room under them. If they don't come out easy it's time to bite the bullet. For £4 what's the point in using £20 of lubricants and cleaning fluids.

[@stedydoch9911]

Hi Dony i saw your video on how to rebuild a carb and i was wondering where do you get your carburetor parts (seals etc.)

[@keithevans9785]

Sorry Don, this is off topic but I just bought a Toro 4216 zero turn, this mower is brand new and it surges. It has a non-adjustable HUAYI carb on a 452cc Toro engine, I cant find any info or diagram on this carb but this is what I've done so far. Checked spark plug, new fuel filter, took carb off and cleaned it, checked air filter added fuel stabelizer and it still surges...any idea's out there ????

[@donyboy73]

Keith Evans bring it back for warranty

[@vinitaramdhanie43]

Hi the little rings below the piston rings how do you remove them without damaging it?

[@jameshodges4775]

Not saying that Camguard is not a legitimate product but I remember something called STP that was Worthless!!!Also don't know about Marvel Mystery Oil???

[@luissonoma6255]

How do you polish the piston grooves?

[@jonnda]

yeah, how about not using brake cleaner when it's hot because acetone is very flammable... not just because it's not good to inhale.

[@MudBuddyHarrison]

Dony, any way to unstick a ring in a working, smoking mower without removing the piston. :)

[@Elaba_]

So, you are the lord of the rings?

[@renhevercaarrasco1471]

Hi, Doc, can you give me a tip or a idea please on how to get the piston back in to the cylinder on a 310 stihl chainsaw

[@renhevercaarrasco1471]

I'm having a hard time the chainsaw was sitting for a while and took it apart to clean it real good.

[@renhevercaarrasco1471]

I ask you because you are the pro.

[@samrugtiv3839]

well done

[@geojor]

thanks for this...

[@jordanmercredi3740]

I got a single ring piston its siezed on thats why its hard to move in the cylinder

[@wtbm123]

Cool

[@Pro1er]

Dony, next time try heating the piston from the inside. You want to heat just the piston, not both the piston and ring.

[@donyboy73]

thanks for the tip

[@Pro1er]

Thank you for years of great advise and good camera work!

[@chrisvanweele6641]

Pro1er Yes aluminum expands more than the rings. Diesel and ATF is another great penetrating oil. Just be sure to hone the cylinder so rings can seat.

[@Pro1er]

A well know DIY penetrating fluid is ATF with 20-50% acetone. Acetone molecules are very small and the ATF is a lubricant. It works batter than just about anything you can buy in the store but the acetone can attack painted surfaces. If you're not into DIY, Kano Kroil is the best commercial penetrating oil out there.

[@dankhill7917]

I have a 1986 F150 with a 351 windsor under it. It won't go above third gear and red-lines on the interstate.. is this because of a seized piston? If so, how much can I expect to pay a mechanic to fix her?

[@sebastianbluecrew4320]

unreal, LOL

[@russellmccartney5605]

great video

[@donyboy73]

thanks

[@kaiok1777]

What is that extra ring underneath the oil ring doing there? My flathead 3hp Briggs has one just like it, with circular holes punched in it. I went to replace the rings and that one (4th ring?) was not in the kit.

[@jonnoMoto]

kaiok1777 It acts like a spring

[@Urbicide]

kaiok1777 That is the oil ring tensioner. The oil ring itself scrapes off excess oil off of the cylinder wall, that is why it is not solid in its construction. You might think of it as sort of a squeegee. The two top rings provide compression sealing, keeping the pressure up above the piston in the cylinder. I apologize if you already know this, but like to say it for those who may not.

[@antoniocarlos77]

Ola ! Sou Brasileiro . Teria como me passa essa informação em português . Comecei assistindo vídeo de Vocês Americano e hoje sou mecânico . Náutica

[@seeesh_]

Ele só aqueceu os anéis e pistão, mas depois decidiu aplicar um "óleo penetrante" para facilitar. O mais correto seria só aquecer o pistão por dentro ou pelo topo, e evitar os anéis. Uma dica é deixar os pistões de molho por 24hrs em acetona com atf, ou vinagre de maçã. Se for pra soltar os anéis sem desmontar o motor então é jogar essas misturas no pistão e deixar por umas 48hrs, e depois trocar o óleo.

[@patpeacock8150]

Who gaped the rings they have either collapsed or was gaped wrong

[@josh33025]

Second! Never delt with seized rings it's either blown up or worn out.

[@LLStacheLarry]

I need to get some safety glasses I have goggles don't like.

[@Mike-dd9yx]

I wish you were my neighbour 20 years ago

[@tk429]

If the engine was worth saving, wouldn't a new piston be easier?

[@zx8401ztv]

Never an easy or safe task don :-( i would heat the inside of the piston where the rings roughly are, hopefully the aluminium ring wall may expand faster than the ring. I have to admitt i cant remember if the aluminium has a faster or slower expansion than the rings.

[@Owiko7]

zx8401ztv aluminum expands faster than steel

[@zx8401ztv]

Owiko7 Thank you :-) i never did remember metal expansion details. Never been much need for me to remember, i dont tend to use it in electronics or computers lol.

[@PinkuStyle]

This is stuff you do when you cant get new parts. Ive done this before yes it works just a waste of time.

[@custardslastcake123]

drop the piston in diesel and leave to soak.

[@billthortone7320]

custardslastcake123 Love the name you have for your posts :) Take care now.

[@darrenstockton578]

stuff that i would of prised it out with a screwdriver in the first place instead of all the hassel you went through

[@76629online]

These rings aren’t really stuck lol.

[@Landroverscout]

Marvel mystery oil over night 100 perscent every time

[@43128lucky4]

Why not just soak it in evaporust

[@raceday-iy7vm]

👌👍👌👍

[@ironfox2411]

I see vladamir putin has found new side hobbies lmao

[@donyboy73]

I'm his double

[@ironfox2411]

I had watched this video this morning before attempting to un-stuck some Honda CM400 piston rings. No luck on my end. The piston overheated at some point and swelled to the point of deformity, pinching the rings in there for good. Bought a new piston tonight. But you inspired me to try all kinds of whacky tricks today. So cheers to that.

[@72hourbob61]

I'm sorry but I do not understand. Piston was trash, rings were at best used. Then you used a touch to distort the piston. What was the point? You could have just soaked the piston Assy. in carb. cleaner then just dropped them in the trash can. No respect at all.

[@phil7390]

Lose the wedding band.