10-05-2021, 10:41 AM
Some years ago I did a hints and tips session in the pits at a Silverstone 750 meeting. I showed how to fit a piston in an A7 block without a compressor. Someone was so surprised that he said 'Do that again' so I did. Many years before that on a 750 trip through Switzerland Chris Baggaley broke a kingpin and a crankshaft on the same day. At the end of the day there was social gathering at the local garage, and talking to the staff they willingly volunteered the workshop for the remadial works. There were so many crowded around Chris's works that I stood back so that I would not get in the way, but at some point engine work stopped, so I asked Reg Nice why. He said someone's gone back to the camp site for a ring compressor, so I took my clean sweatshirt off and showed them how to do it without. I was surprised that noone else of the many people there was aware of the technique. The bevel on the bottom of the bore makes it easy, so long as your finger nails are strong enough to compress the rings.