Compressing piston rings?

polkat wrote:

Need to get my pistons up into the jugs on my KZ750-four. In the past I have tried popcycle sticks and lubed hose clamps. I've got a good beveled edge on the bottom of all the cylinders, but getting the rings in is still hard. The popcycle sticks were almost useless and the clamps, while they worked to a degree, kept trying to go inside with the pistons. In fact, I broke a new ring trying the clamps.

So I got to thinking about it. I'm going to try cutting some straps out of a thin aluminum soda can, just wide enough to cover all the rings. I will include a few tabs at the top, bent out to act as stops against the bottom of the cylinder bores, and then use the hose clamps to hold the straps against the rings (with just enough tension to hold the rings closed, yet be able to slip down as I lower the block.

Anyone see a problem with this?

I have done this. but i used brass shimm instead of a can. the shimm is a little thicker.i put a few screw driver kinks at the top to keep it from sliding into the cyl. i put a peice of wood under the piston to hold it up. it worked out ok.