Unseizing piston rings

[AUSDOK]

Hi I am working on unseizing the rings on the Bradford and have got about 1/3 of the way with Inox and tapping with a brass edge. It has come to a complete halt. I was advised to heat them ,but am unsure what this would do to the ring tension .Has anybody got any ideas to help to remove these stubborn little critters. Cheers Rudy

[bigmoot]

HOW BIG IS THE PISTON MATE REGARDS BIGMOOT.

[AUSDOK]

4" diameter Thanks Rudy

[bigmoot]

gday mate might be easier just to bust them put new ones in 4'' common size mate regards bigmoot.

[Scott]

Hello Rudy
I try and work them with my fingers pushing and pulling the loose end submersed in diesel. It acts like a lubricant and it seems a bit of hydraulic action happens as well. I don't know if it's just co-incidence or what, but rings come loose eventually. Maybe the important tool here is patience? I don't know 

Cheers Scott 

[Russell]

Hi Rudy
As Bigmoot said 4" rings are very cheap I just got a set of 4 from starbolt engine supplies in the USA I think they cost about $8 each plus postage and fast delivery was 7 days and they were at my door.
Russell 

[Rusty]

I recently used a propane torch to heat stuck rings after everything else had failed. I used a lot of heat & the ring came out. I wanted to keep the ring as it was an odd size. the heat doesn't seem to have had any bad effect. I would try it again. Cheers John

[oldtime]

Hi this might sound strange but this is what I do .. I put the piston in the lathe and get a skate board wheel on a rod in the tool post . Push the wheel into the rings . slow speed come back in a hour or two fixed ! I let the coolant run on the piston

[cobbadog]

Just read that a bloke freed up his rings using vinegar. He soaked them in a tin filled with vinegar and it worked for him, but the soaking in diesel also should work in time and gently pushing in on the rings to try and work the carbon out.

[sunshine man]

Hi
    Simple , heat with a size 8 oxy tip , work around and around, also using an aluminium dolly tap the stuck ring.
It will pop out .rings get hot in operation so I would not worry at all about the heat affecting the ring .
 Low tension rings will seal in a good bore .harder to make even brand new rings seal in a worn bore . So the bore is just as important.
Regards sunshineman