my favorite circlips

[Jughead]

looks too big of diameter for circlip.im just wondering if a circlip didnt go flying into the great wide open and they didn't make a replacement out of whatever they could find handy.

 

[Jughead]

i can run right fast and bend up one of my 372 bbw clips and set inside a 372 jug for comparison.

 

[Jughead]

definately circlip.that mofo had to work to get that clip straight.

 

[BuckthornBonnie]

I lost a couple and bent 1 plus had 2 holes in my thumb for who knows how many times. Decided I'd just break down and get that tool.

*again here comes BuckthornBonnie with a tape reference*
We use a wrap of electrical tape over our thumbs for circlip install. It may cut off circulation if you get it too tight, but prevents the blood-stained pistons we all know so well.

And yes, we have large quantities of electrical tape around lol.

 

[Lone Wolf]

it does look long

Anyone have that size clip unwind it and see what it looks like.

 

[Jughead]

done did wolfy.lol

 

[Lone Wolf]

done did wolfy.lol

And?

 

[Mark71gtx]

View attachment 49348 View attachment 49347
definately circlip.that mofo had to work to get that clip straight.

just a few posts above yours

 

[a. palmer jr.]

I've noticed at least two different kinds of circlips in the aftermarket, there are silver colored ones and bronze colored ones, the bronze ones seem to have more spring than the silver ones which appear to not be much more than bailing wire. The Greek guy on ebay sells circlips that appear to be of good quality, same guy that sells the good piston rings, his are bronze color also..Dandrikop I think is how to spell their name.

 

[danimal]

That's another screen door I would bang like it was in a hurricane

 

[danimal]

Mike, I've tried to use the AM clips in the Stihl instal tool and struggle sometimes. The clips sometimes go wonky on themselves when compressed by the tool . Same goes for the "bux tool" installer I have for 12mm. I can't say much for husky clips because I'm allergic to wrenching on husky's.(hives -cold sweats). But for me and my thumbs ....OEM ...there is a difference in the metallurgy somewhere .

Good pr of hemos will get you past yer allergic reaction..
Must be hospitalized after working on sthils then,,,,,eh? Never had a problem w/circlips....

 

[angelo c]

Good pr of hemos will get you past yer allergic reaction..
Must be hospitalized after working on sthils then,,,,,eh? Never had a problem w/circlips....

Hemos don't do much fer chasin loose screws and nuts...

nice fer holdin em while you apply some "stay together goo" thread locker though.

 

[huskyboy]

I like the oem tool cause I am a tool nerd but some of the clips with two ears have the ears push against each other in the tool and are a bigger pain in the butt than just using a pair of needle nose pliers.

I tested oem Stihl 12mm circlips in a Farmertec 372BB kit today.
I am out of the nicer kits and he needs to get the saw back in service so he agreed to this as a replacement and I sent along Caber rings as well.
The oem clips fit great, but they are gonna be a MOFO to get back out because as ...mentioned above the husky piston has no retent to start the tool into, just the groove so without an ear it will take some real prying to get the clip back out. The ends of the pin are ever so slightly tapered and the length of the pin allows the clips to insert fully and properly.

I will be asking him to send me back the cylinder to cut open and stare at.

My kit on my 372 is a 60.00 cheapo farmertec kit and has two years of cutting on it, I run 40:1 and delete base gasket and muffler mod. Outcuts my stock 576xp with a dull chain, so they seem to be pretty good for the money. Who knows maybe I got lucky but if you got a beat up 365/372 and don't wanna spend a lot of cash it worked pretty good for me.

 

[a. palmer jr.]

I didn't realize I posted to this once before but I will from now on buy circlips when I buy the good rings before a rebuild. Faster shipping from Greece than China also..

 

[huskihl]

I lost a couple and bent 1 plus had 2 holes in my thumb for who knows how many times. Decided I'd just break down and get that tool.

I usually don't have much of a problem getting them in. Some are definitely worse than others, I'm sure. The worst one I've ever done was DDave's 441. I bet it took me 15 minutes worth of twisting, prying, and swearing.
Ahh. Good times

 

[jimmorrison]

Aah where was i

 

[jimmorrison]

Those who complain about circlips have never had to remove a double row of spiral locks. Sure, they are easy to install but a PITA to remove.

Oh yeah now I remember. Wish I woulda had these. My 272 would still be alive.

 

[jimmorrison]

After this happened I did a few searches and found several examples of this failure. Why not a machined surface, with a real c-clip or snap ring? The spiral locks would work. The circlip seems kind of lame. Where else are they used on a reciprocating assembly that does 12 to 16 thou ?

 

[srcarr52]

After this happened I did a few searches and found several examples of this failure. Why not a machined surface, with a real c-clip or snap ring? The spiral locks would work. The circlip seems kind of lame. Where else are they used on a reciprocating assembly that does 12 to 16 thou ?

Spiral locks take a deep square cut grove so they wouldn't directly work in the pistons we are dealing with.

It was said earlier and I agree with it so I will bring it back up. A lot of circlip failure are from not having the proper chamfer on the outside edge of the wrist pin. The chamfer is there so the pin can't push the circlip out, it and only push it deeper into it's groove. There is such thing as too much chamfer as well when the circlip has tails, just enough to catch the clip before it would spring out from bending the tail.

 

[jimmorrison]

Yes, I looked up a lot of info on wrist pin retainers in several different applications. The saw lasted five years and ran great the whole time. I put a lot of hours on it and worked it hard, it owes me nothing. Just disappointing to disassemble and find all the damage caused by the ear breaking off the circlip. Everything else still looked almost new. Saw would have ran for a long time if that clip had held together.