Any tips on getting piston pins in??

[two85atc250r's]

I am scratching up my brand new piston trying to get these darn clips in. Is there a trick to get them to go? I've been at this for 30 minutes on one silly clip. Please help!

[86 Quad R]

i preferr to use really small needle nose.

[All250R]

Everyone's got their own technique more than likely, but I'll offer mine for you to consider. These clips cna definitely be a pain, so don't feel like you're failing. THe best thing is if you're getting frustrated is to step away for a minute to undo pissed-offfedness otherwise you wind up having to sand flat a bunch of those scratches. Remember too to put a rag over the crank so if the clip drops you aren't chasing the clip out of the crankcase - which would not be fun.

Anyway, the 86 style piston requires a little more care because there isn't the cutaway part like the the 87-89 style. Either way, what I use are two flat tip screwdrivers. I place the end of hte clip in the pin hole and begin to work as much of the clip as I can in wiht my fingers, working along the length of the clip. At some point it gets tight and won't budge anymore. This is where I take the tip of the screwdriver and hold the clip with it right where the clip is starting to poke back out of hte hole. Sometimes too you'll have to hold the inserted end still with a thumb or finger tip to keep it from springing out of the hole and landing somewhere in your shop.

Next I take the second screwdriver, preferably a nice thin one and start to coax/pry the rest of the clip into hole all the while walking the other screwdriver behind it to make sure the clip doesn't back out as I'm making progress along the clip.

This is the ideal case. Sometimes I have to go at it a couple times using my fingers and two screwdrivers all at the same time, but often times I can get it to pop in on the first try avoiding scratching the piston.

Once its in, take that thin screwdriver and walk around the clip making SURE it's in the groove nice and tight. Compare it to the other side which you know is in tight and see that the look like they're in the groove about the same depth.

Remember too, if you bend/deform the clip from beating on the frustrating parts too much you have to replace it. Remember too to put the opening in the clip either top or bottom. This prevents the up and down motion of the piston from compressing the spring and encouraging it to pop out of it's groove.

[Iliketogofast]

I don't understand why everybody has so much trouble with these. I usually have both of them on in 5-10.

I just put one end in the slot then coax the other end in with a flat screwdriver. You have to work your way down the clip until you get all of it at least inside the little hole, then just push it into it's seat from there.

[two85atc250r's]

Well I got 'em. Thanks for the tips guys. Once I figured it out the second one was pretty easy.