valve guide snap ring

[DIS295]

Is there a secret/or just unknown to me, way to install the BMW snap rings on the valve guides? Did a search but no luck.

I'm tempted to buy traditional 14 mm snap rings with the holes.

[flyingtpot]

I have used this pair of flat tipped pliers to install hundreds of valve guide clips, for both 7mm and 8mm guides. It is from a 70's USN helicopter tool kit.

If you go with 'conventional' retaining rings, Rotor Clip in the States has a metric series size that will work.

[DIS295]

flyingtpot: Thanks for that. I have a similar, but larger pair, but wider at the tip and when I start spreading the clip, they twist, then pop off. It's a tossup whether I try to find a better pair of spreaders, or just go for 14mm circlips. My suspicion is that the BMW solution, once in place, should be very difficult to displace, not so sure about regular circlips.

Just before I pressed submit, my tendency towards multitasking took over and I did a search on ebay/amazon for flat tipped pliers, and a small pair came up that should work better than the large one I have. In a few days I'll know whether I can execute with a smaller tip.

[flyingtpot]

The design intent of the circlip is two-fold. One is for the proper positional placement of the guide during installation. The other is to prevent the movement of the guide towards the combustion chamber in the event that it is a loose fit. For the latter, that should not happen with the correct parts and qualified tech managing the parts.

Snap rings/circlips that use pin-type pliers are definitely acceptable in this application. The correct circlip needs to be chosen that properly fits the guide groove and that does not have an interference fit issue with the lower cup.

If the installer of the guide clips is not 'qualified', they can mess up installing any type of securing ring.