Jammed Pistons

Trying to install my cylinders for the forth time in my KZ1100. Nothing is going right. After lowering my cylinders past my # 2 & 3 pistons my lowest oil ring on the # 1 piston came out of the groove and bent (second time). So in getting ready to start over (had an extra scraper ring), I started lifting the cylinders off the pistons and it came off the # 1&4, but as I continued raising the cylinders I found that some how the 2&3 pistons aren't moving inside the cylinders. I did "tap" the cylinder with a dead blow while installing. I've been messing with it for the last 2 hrs trying to get it to move. After chipping a piece of fin off I thought I'd stop for the night a get some feed back. Any ideas?

Lichen! Hate you chipped a fin!! Are you using plenty of oil?

Chipped a fin trying to install pistons? :S You should not need to use a hammer to install pistons, clearly something is not right. Ed

more info needed.
did you gap the rings? Old /new pistons/ new bore job....... :dry:

IMO it sounds like you forced it and laid over another one of the oil ring wipers, since you were having problems getting the cylinder on .

you need to remove the cylinder and inspect the rings/cylinders/pistons at the very least , to be sure......... :huh: and if any of the oil ring wiper bent it needs to be replaced :dry:

no hammer , dead blow or whatever should be needed to install a cylinder :evil:

nivlac wrote: Trying to install my cylinders for the forth time in my KZ1100. Nothing is going right. After lowering my cylinders past my # 2 & 3 pistons my lowest oil ring on the # 1 piston came out of the groove and bent (second time). So in getting ready to start over (had an extra scraper ring), I started lifting the cylinders off the pistons and it came off the # 1&4, but as I continued raising the cylinders I found that some how the 2&3 pistons aren't moving inside the cylinders. I did "tap" the cylinder with a dead blow while installing. I've been messing with it for the last 2 hrs trying to get it to move. After chipping a piece of fin off I thought I'd stop for the night a get some feed back. Any ideas?

You probably had an oil ring smear over inside one of the inside cylinders and it's sticking the piston.

What pistons do you have...oem, wiseco, mtc???

Probably not causing the problem but did you check your ring end gaps for the top two rings before you installed the block?

If this is a fresh bore job it's a classic case of NO CHAMFER on the bottom of the sleeves after boring. Chamfer is very important to ease installation. Great Gobs of Oil won't buy you anything in this situation.

Have to admit, had a few sasparillas by 2am when I posted. Listen to these guys. They know what they are talkin about. But yea, a bit more info would help

Here's how to get the block back off without destroying things.

Find two pieces of wood that will fit between the base of the block and the top of the engine case. You can put them on the end of the block or in the center where the cam chain is.

If you can get some help to keep the cam chain taught it would be best.

Turn the crankshaft in which ever direction it needs to back the pistons down out of the bores.

Examine the rings. Correct anything you need to regarding ring end gap and sleeve chamfer. Don't be afraid to take a stone in a drill and put a good 1/4" of chamfer on the bottom of the sleeves. You'll have to rewash and re-prep the block again before you install it.

I have had MTC big blocks slip right on without needing anything more than a plastic or wooden stick and fingers. Reason being.....lots of chamfer.


Also, screw this dry install bullshit. I'm not talking about using a quart of oil in the cylinder. But if you put a light coat of oil about 3/4 inch with your finger at the bottom of the sleeves, it will make the job much easier. Wipe out the excess after the block is installed and you've turned the crank over a few times.

LarryC sounds like he's on to something there.
Back in 1981 I did a bore job on my '77 Kz1000. I even bought the special Kawasaki ring compressor tool to install the new pistons into the freshly bored cylinder.

I learned later why, despite having bought for $250 (in 1981 dollars no less) the Kawasaki special ring compressor tool, it seemed almost impossible to get the pistons started in the cylinder, the machine shop that did the boring for me forgot to put the chamfer at the bottom of the cylinder bore that is put there to make it do-able to get the pistons started.

I got lucky with it and she came back together fine but it took a clear head, several breaks to get away from it and cool off, until I managed to get the pistons in there.

Live and learn, the machine shop refused any responsibility for forgetting to put the chamfer in.

If you get the cylinders off and any damage repaired, contact the machine shop that did the boring if they forgot to put the chamfer in there and ask them to split the difference with you on any repairs. It was their job to bring up the chamfer issue since they do cylinder boring as their line of work.

Here is the info on the project. Pistons are OEM, rings are standard, cylinder have been hit with a ball style glaze buster, and cylinders have been lightly oiled prior to installation. I bent an oil ring on the # 1, and broke a ring on the number 2 last week. I replaced both and stared back to work last night until myoil ring on my # 1 bent again and as I started removing the cylinder block to start over I realized that I had a problem with # 2 & 3. All the rings were gapped prior to install .................EXCEPT the new one which is on my number 2 (which is one of the two that are stuck). I am going to start back this evening take all good info that has been posted into consideration. I appreciate the help.

nivlac wrote: Here is the info on the project. Pistons are OEM, rings are standard, cylinder have been hit with a ball style glaze buster, and cylinders have been lightly oiled prior to installation. I bent an oil ring on the # 1, and broke a ring on the number 2 last week. I replaced both and stared back to work last night until myoil ring on my # 1 bent again and as I started removing the cylinder block to start over I realized that I had a problem with # 2 & 3. All the rings were gapped prior to install .................EXCEPT the new one which is on my number 2 (which is one of the two that are stuck). I am going to start back this evening take all good info that has been posted into consideration. I appreciate the help.

:pinch: after reading your reply, Like I said, it sounds like you have a oil scraper laid over........ :dry: I don't see anything about setting the OEM ring end gaps, just service limits.... :huh:

nivlac wrote: Here is the info on the project. Pistons are OEM, rings are standard, cylinder have been hit with a ball style glaze buster, and cylinders have been lightly oiled prior to installation. I bent an oil ring on the # 1, and broke a ring on the number 2 last week. I replaced both and stared back to work last night until myoil ring on my # 1 bent again and as I started removing the cylinder block to start over I realized that I had a problem with # 2 & 3. All the rings were gapped prior to install .................EXCEPT the new one which is on my number 2 (which is one of the two that are stuck). I am going to start back this evening take all good info that has been posted into consideration. I appreciate the help.

:pinch: after reading your reply, Like I said, it sounds like you have a oil scraper laid over........ :dry:
I don't see anything about setting the OEM ring end gaps, just service limits.... :huh:

Feels like the bolt is ready to break off the crank with no piston movement. Is there any other way to turn the crank?