spiral locks

[dian]

do you guys use them and how are they better than c-clips? seem to be a pain to install.

 

[JB Bergman]

I use them in some hydraulic parts I produce. Easy to install, pain in the ass to remove. That's the idea!
JB

 

[adama]

Secret to install is to make a factory install tool, take a sutable over size chunk of steel - bit of tube, id wants to be same as finished part ID. then bore a taper opening out to the od of the clip, cut part off your done, simply stand cone - funnel over the hole, and push the spiral lock down into the cone, a suitable diameter pin makes it easy, you sorta twist and push to help the spiral collapse up, done right you can pop em in in seconds each. Goes really fast and unlike circlips, theres no risk of over closing em and losing grip - full opening dia in the final grove.

Unless there the ones with the stepped ends, yeah there a bitch to remove, but there really not designed to be. Ones with the stepped ends are easy to hook out with a small screw driver.

 

[Dan from Oakland]

They are pretty easy to remove if you machine a small notch into the groove at 90 degrees to the groove. With the notch, you can lift the end of the ring out of the groove. This is a pretty common thing to do in aftermarket piston wrist pin grooves to make the spiral lock easier to remove.

 

[dian]

not sure about the notch in the grooove, 90° to ,what?

so again, what makes them better than c clipc?

 

[adama]

No gap, and far more precise. They can also be a lot lighter and faster to install.

 

[77ironhead]

so again, what makes them better than c clipc?

back when I was working as a mechanic, I saw repeated failures of c-clips, with the subsequent catastrophic engine failure; never saw a single spiral ring failure....