Take a pocket flat blade screwdriver and put a "V" In the middle of the blade. I used the corner of the grinding wheel on my bench grinder to do this. This helps push the end of the spiroloc into the groove. Once in the groove it will help wind it in. After a couple of times you will get the hang of it. And your fingers will appreciate it also.
I found this trick on the corral and it saved me hours. Take the spiral locks and stretch them out until they are about an inch tall. Then just get that first end in there, spiral about 1/4" of it in with your thumbnail or whatever is easiest for you and you are home free. The last 1/16" or so would always get stuck for me, but I would just go ABO on it and it would snap in. The first piston or two took some time, but soon as I got the hang of it, it was cake.
I also use a small flat blade screw driver to get them started, then you can pull on them and wind them in. I put both locks on one side of all the pistons, then go back and lube up the pins and pin holes in the pistons, the small end of the rod then assemble them. I prefer not to stretch them out.....
Make sure the rod is on the correct way before putting the locks on the other side or you'll be pulling them out, that is even more fun then installing them.
1" seems excessive to stretch the locks, the farther you stretch them the more room for error which will bend/kink them... I guess it's all in the eye of the beholder.
Thanks for the tips guys.I'm going to take my lunch hour today to tinker with them.The instruction sheet said to only stretch them 1/8 to 1/4.Like most of you said,I think it just takes time to get the hang of them.Wish me luck....
i just take the piston bewteen my legs ,,get the clip just open it so you can get the first half started with a pocket screw driver it the bottom of the hole then just get screw driver in push it till it goes around that the best way i know you dont have to strech them at all....
I know your pain, i spent an hour on one piston getting those things in there. Then when i finally finished i saw the rod was on wrong! It didnt screw in like the instructions said it would i had to use a small flat screwdriver and push it down in. I did pretty much the same as what was said before. Just double check you have the rod on right!
Good luck.
Well,I got one piston done on my lunch hour.Thanks to your tips I double checked the rod to see if I had it on correct,and I didn't! I guess in the course of tinkering with the lock,I had installed it wrong.Luckily I caught it before I installed the spirolocks.
I initially put the oil ring on the piston and discovered I had to install the wrist pin first,because of the oil ring intersecting the wrist pin hole.The oil ring wasn't nothing to remove though,and I just slid the oil ring support to the top of the groove.
You guys had it right,once you do one,it isn't nothing to repeat it! The best way I found was to start one side and push it down with the small screwdriver and just work around the lock,pushing it down.I wanted to jump up and down cheering after the first one.....,unless you get the technique down they can be a pain in the rear!
I really appreciate everyones advice,it really helped.
Thanks,Brad