How to Remove a Stuck Ring From a Piston

Be very cautious when removing a stuck ring from a piston.

A piston ring is an object that fits into the groove of a piston in a vehicle's engine and is responsible for regulating the engine's oil consumption as well as sealing the combustion chamber. Sometimes, a ring can become stuck in the piston and affect the way your engine runs. There are ways to remove these that require patience and caution so that you do not break them.

Things You'll Need

• Flat-edged screwdriver
• Blow torch
• Diesel fuel

Instructions

1. Use a flat-edged screwdriver to try and carefully loosen the ends of the stuck ring from the piston.

2. Continue to loosen the ends of the ring with the screwdriver if you see the ring moving. Then, if or when you are able to, put your screwdriver's head between the ring and the piston and turn it at a 90 degree angle toward the end of the ring that is still stuck and try to slide it in between there as well. If there is no give, stop what you're doing.

3. Heat the piston with a blow torch to between 356 and 425 degrees Fahrenheit (180 and 220 Celsius) and then stop.

4. Repeat Step 2 if heating with the blow torch works.

5. Let the piston sit for some time to cool off, soak it in diesel fuel, and repeat Step 2 and Step 3 after a few hours.

Tips & Warnings

• Repeating the action of sliding your flat-edged screwdriver's head in between the ring and the piston and heating the piston with the blow torch will make it easier to remove the stuck ring. This is due to the constant expansion and contraction, which will break down the aluminum oxide between the ring and piston.

• Do not use the blow torch anymore once it heats to 425 degrees Fahrenheit, as this may cause the piston to start to melt and become soft. Also, take care not to burn yourself while using the blow torch.

References

• Removing Stuck Rings Technique