Ring compressor. What do you guys use?

[Frallan]

I have used a commercial and flexible ring compressor tool for most of my years building engines.
Still I have to admit that we never became real friends.


On watercooled builds I usually have had full circular compression rings that I did myself. Fantastic!
On stock T1 I use to have a 85.5 mm VW tool that was so nice to use.

Today I had real trouble with my latest pistons.
104 mm and thin rings.
Time to build a copy of the old originial VW tool. Or a simplified version.
I start with a 4.060" V8 compression ring.
Now, my question is, what do you guys use?


Anything fancy to buy? Turnkey and ready?

[glenn]

I have a cheap set.

[Mike Lawless]

I use the tapered ring compressor. I had to face off the bottom where it contacts the barrel, because with thin rings, between the compressor chamfer and the barrel chamfer, it just didn't work. Once it was faced and had a nice sharp edge, it worked out real good.

[Frallan]

Mike,  Please explain what type of tapered ring compressor you refer to.

[stealth67vw]

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=729518

[Mike Lawless]

Yep. That's the one.

[Frallan]

Yes, that is the best. But not if you have the rods installed in the case already.
Then you need a split one like the original VW tool.
Alternatively like the one I pictured and Glenn.
I really prefer to do my stretch install with rods on the crank prior to putting it in the case.

[Frallan]

Few minutes invested on google and look what I found.
This is what I had 25 years ago for stock builds but it was lost to someone who "borrowed" it.
Now it is also what I will build out of my tapered ring compression tool from Summit.
First try was not good enough.

Now I was really thinking that someone has another version or similar.

[RMS Boxer Service]

Yes, that is the best. But not if you have the rods installed in the case already.
Then you need a split one like the original VW tool.
Alternatively like the one I pictured and Glenn.
I really prefer to do my stretch install with rods on the crank prior to putting it in the case.

I use the JayCee taper ring compressor as well and put the piston in the cylinder before
mounting the piston on the rod. Just let the piston stick out if the bottom of the cylinder
far enough to mount the wrist pin.  But if you have very short compression height and/or
the oil ring is covering the wrist pin hole the JayCee compressor is no go.  I have seen
taper ring compressors for aircraft engines that have a single slot just wide ennough for
the connecting rod to go through. Maybe it will work with the VW engine and the cylinder
studs.

I also have the ring compressor Glenn posted a picture of and it also works great, I use
it when my JayCee taper compressor don't fit. 

/Rolf

[Frallan]

Thanks for sharing your experience too Rolf.
Just like you say, and it can be seen in the pictures, I have very thin rings (1.0 mm and 1.2 mm) plus low compression height with wrist pin support rail.
I will take my modified tapered ring tool and think out some way to make a split version out of it.

[Frallan]

This low compression height, thin rings a and an oil ring that was tougher then ever. Not easy.
So finally I split my tapered compressor and made it fit my needs.
But not untill I took a high speed flapper wheel and slightly chamfered the nicasil cylinder in the bottom, did we become friends.
My though was all the time that this sensitive and time consuming way to assemble a piston and cylinder, is not for the field.