Powerbuilt Piston Ring Compressor Tool Set for Car Engine, Vehicle Maintenance Clamps, Ratchet Pliers, Storage Case - 940387

Great product, well made and easy to use, highly recommended.

Did 6.0 PowerStroke pistons. Did fine

Nice set of ring compressors without breaking the bank

As a professional engine builder, I needed these in a pinch. I was surprised how well it worked. The bands were like a spring steel and put a decent tension on the rings before completely compressing with the ratcheting tool.

Correct part, arrived promptly, they seem to be better than most of the off shore units.I Used this ring compressor to install piston rings and cylinders on ‘07 Buell XB12 (which is the same as a H-D Sportster motor, pretty much any V-Twin). For me to install the cylinders, I cannot use the 10-1/2” long handle / pliers, with the spring loaded ratchet (they never seem to ratchet to the proper tension (they are twitcher than a squirrel on meth, and will pop open with the slightest bump of the release). I use a long #8 screw placed through the holes in both prongs (one at each end of the band) I put a nut on the end of the screw (making sure not to drop the nut or screw in the crankcase) and then tighten the screw to compress the band around the piston (I know they make ring compressors that works like a hose clamp, but they are to wide ect…). Some of the prongs that the handles / pliers connect to protrude below the band, and the spot welds could be smoother, but I believe this is true of almost all, if not all of this type compressor.So basically all I use are the bands, the handle / pliers are useless to me.If you do use the handle / pliers, I have included photos (K-D on the right) of an older US made K-D unit, they are very similar, but the US made K-Ds have a much finer toothed ratchet. I just noticed the some of the fine teeth on the K-D are rounded off and won’t hold, confirming my low opinion of the ratcheting feature of this type ring compressor.

Lots of sizes works great with oily hands.

The reviews of this product are all over the map - some people who had great results and some people who had poor... I had a poor result. I suspect a lot has to do with the specific set you received and what your application was. Looking through the included bands, it's very clear the quality control is just not there. Each band has a foot which where the pliers attach, and those feet are literally randomly placed. None are square in the middle of the band - some are closer to one edge, some the other, some feet even overhang the band. The result of this insane lack of QC is that the pliers often cannot grip the band squarely and instead squeeze it into a cone shape; it's so bad some bands can only be used facing one direction. Also, the spring that opens the pliers is incredibly weak, and the ratchet teeth are widely spaced meaning you go from "not enough" to "too much" grip immediately. I got the job done without any real problems, but using these is an exercise in frustration. If you're just going to use these a few times the low price probably justifies the annoyances, but if you're building a V12 or plan to use these daily, I would find a higher quality tool. These are were barely adequate for one four cylinder motor as far as I'm concerned.

Great product for the price