Stubborn Snap ring???

Trying to remove the front master cylinder piston from my 77' KZ1000A for rebuild. Piston is frozen. I have a pair of snap ring pliers that I bought from Motion Pro that has a 90 degree 2" reach with the plier end tips. It is thin to reach into those tight areas. But the problem I'm having is that I can't engage the snap ring ends inside the master cylinder bore with the plier tips. The piston of the master interferes with the plier ends so I cant get a hold of the snap ring. Does anyone know of a way to remove the snap ring?

what snap ring......is the master round or triangle?

It looks like you have the round one, I see the clip listed.

www.cmsnl.com/1977-kz1000-a1_model14566/...342.html#row481J1800

It's round !

This should be the kit.

www.z1enterprises.com/ItemDetails.aspx?i...22%29&item=KL32-8048

Sorry, don't have any exp with this master.

www.ehow.com/how_6719057_rebuild-kawasaki-master-cylinder.html

www.kzrider.com/forum/5-chassis/590075-m...ylinder-disassemmbly

I'll try to find a pick of some sort to see if I can at least grab a hold of one side or hole of the snap ring?

Its a metal part in a Aluminum core. I would guess rust will have it locked up. Did you hit it with penetrating fluid?

I had a locked up piston on a master cylinder I was rebuilding. I oiled it good from both ends and used a punch and hammer to work loose, a few hits and it came out.

I have done 100% rebuilds / restos on maybe 20 of the trapezoid master cylinders, but haven't worked on the 1977 round.

These are small and long nosed snap ring pliers.
www.harborfreight.com/snap-ring-pliers-w...able-heads-3316.html

You could try to find a machine shop or auto shop and ask them to remove it. They will have the tools or experience to get it off.

I soaked it with PB Blaster several days, didn't help. And my long nose snap ring pliers can't catch the snap ring as said earlier, the piston is in the way. Maybe something small like a dental pick?

can you compress or push the piston into the bore to gain access to the snap ring? or does that not help.

I did that by tapping the end of the piston with socket and hammer. That did move the piston down but I didn't want to tap it to hard to bottom it out to much. It still didn't allow for enough room to use the snap ring pliers?

I don't have any experience with this type of m/cyl but maybe can help...?

I assume the clip you're trying to remove is the inner circlip type one. I'm surprised that you can't egage the circlip with your pliers - maybe a finer set with thnner jaws would do it? (definitely soak it to free it but would've thought that compressing the circlip with the pliers would have broken the rust/corrosion bond between the clip and the m/cyl body?