The Hodaka Club Forum

Putting a piston on today. I placed the circlips on top of the cylinder & set the cylinder off to the side. Had a hard time pushing the wrist pin thru. I accidentally shook the cylinder and the circlips fell. Only found one circlip. Now I have to wait for more Ace circlips to arrive.

DAMN DAMN DAMN!!!!!!!!! Victor

Vic, do you have a strong magnet to help in your search?

Victor the good news nobody was there, nobody seen it, so nobody knows. I use a small cookie tray or magnetic stainless mechanics bowl. I stand on a mat, it catches things I drop. I have been known to drop another one and try to see where it goes. The magnet is a very good idea, Get them running, winters gone, birds are back and spring is coming. ----------- Clarence

Victor,
Several "twenty-twenty hindsight" solutions to the situation have been offered, and I'm sure you've come up those and others. But here is one which hasn't been listed yet - - confirm the wrist pin fit in the piston (adjust as necessary, thumb push fit when piston and pin are at room temperature) way before any engine assembly efforts. My two cents for the piggy bank.
Ed

Ed's comment thumb push fit at room temperature is so important. We know people that have froze the pin and heated the piston, then wondered why things cracked and broke. I would try to relieve the tight spot rather than rework the whole piston. make sure the piston is super clean, It does not take much for the pin to stick. ------------- Clarence

Yes. I had to do the pencil & sandpaper trick to make the wrist pin fit better. Still didn’t get it to single finger and thumb press in. I even lubed the hole with oil. Are there any better techniques for making wrist pins fit with little restriction? Thx! Victor

If you didn't achieve a thumb press fit, then you didn't complete the job.
Ed

Well, have you ever been afraid to do too much? Victor

Of course. We all worry about that. But by definition, if the piston pin won't slide in with a thumb push, you haven't gone enough - and enough is still shy of too far.

So you just keep "sneaking up" on the proper fit till you get there.

Ed

I would not use a pencil, I would rather use a dowel and would use what we called crocus cloth it is more like a sand paper on cloth. I remember sawing a slot in a nail that held my sand paper / crocus cloth or using a drill and checking often. Today I would probable use my milling machine. The word afraid is not in my vocabulary. I have no fear of mechanical devices, speaking to 500 people or grizzly bears. But if you were to demand I sing a solo or play the anything, that would be fear to me. ---------------------- Clarence

Singing I have no problem with! I could easily sing the lead in Phantom of the Opera!

I also become frustrated a bit too easily & want things to happen too quickly sometimes. But I did get it in and it’s assembled now.

And please don’t say it, Ed. I know, I know…

Victor

Okaaaay.
Ed

Nah. I just can't NOT do it. (other folks may get some value from the thread and my "tried and true" comment.)

Slow down. You'll go faster.

Ed
PS: How do you think I learned about slowing down to go faster???

Victor I have been a conductor for years every time I touch the spark plug. ----- Clarence

Clarence, after I retired from state government, I went back to my music roots & taught music in the Santa Fe Public Schools! General music at first and then quickly started teaching band.

I had a great band director in High School & he used to pull me out of class and have me conduct the Jr. High band whenever he had a scheduling conflict! So band teaching was something I always wanted to do when I retired.

I was even fortunate enough to be able to work where my grandsons attended high school. Until Covid kicked in. By the time they stopped teaching from home and let the kids go back to school, my teaching certificate expired. So I didn’t renew and go back. 13 years after retirement from the state was a good run!

Now, the other kind of ‘conductor’ you referenced? I think we’ve all been there a few times!!! Victor