"Chuck Sherwood" wrote in message
...
Fitting piston rings by hand is the easiest way. Just gently hook one end
down onto the piston, and work your way around to get the complete ring
onto
the top off the piston. Then gently work it down the piston. Obivously

I highly recommend a ring expander to install the rings on the piston
and a ring compressor to install the piston in the cylinder.

I tried to install rings on a small piston by hand and I promptly broke
the ring. That was on a model engine with CI rings. Obviouly steel rings
are tougher. On model engines I wrapped some thin brass around the
piston and used a cable tie to compress the rings enough to slide them
into the cylinder.

You definatley need a piston ring compressor to get the piston back in the
cylinder.

I have never broke a piston ring, when removing or installing them on the
piston.
Only time (other when I've wanted to break an old ring to clean the grooves)
i've broken a ring, is when I was rebuilding an engine that used the
multi-part oil control rings with the two thin rings and a wavy ring
inbetween (there is a proper name for them but I can't remember just now).
The piston ring compressor slipped up from the top off the engine block, and
one off the thin rings popped out. First I knew about it was when I seen the
bit piston ring fall out onto the bench. Which just so happened to be the
engine that I knocked the piston cooling oil jet off, when trying to get
another piston in. I still shudder thinking about rebuilding that damn
engine.