Hi, i'm doing my first top end on a 01' kdx220. I was wondering what the easiest way is to install those circlips for the wrist pin properly without bending them, I tried practicing with the old ones but it seems to be a pain and I ended up scratching the old piston? Also do you normally use a piston ring expander to install the rings.My concern is damaging these parts by bending them. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks

the rings will snap before they bend put the second ring on first by starting the end into the groove butted up against the little pin sticking out of the groove ...look closly there is a pin ther to stops the ring from moving... then with you other hand hold the ring out away from the piston as you use the other hand to put a finger on the ring where you started it ..then spiral ring into the groove untill you reach the end do the same with the top ring

as for the circlips
start with the ends of the clips pointed AWAY from the notch on the bottom of the piston pin hole then put the clip in at an angle starting with th open end first, then push the closed end into the hole making shure the clip "snaps" into the groove

hope this helps ..also maybe practice with the old piston and rings first

practice practice practice! i used to not be able to get cir-clips in very well now i can get them in and out in no time.

Use a plastic cable tie to hold the rings in, it will slip down and can be cut away when you lower the barrel

Make sure they are in right or this could happen:

urgh thats bad!!

here's the piston... even worse.

Groovy!

The best set up I've ever seen was with an Arias HP piston that I put in an old XR-200.
The piston came with two teflon plugs that you installed on each side of the wrist pin to
keep it centered. A very slick and simple job, never had to worry about a c-clip.
I wonder why a company like Wiseco never adopted that theory ?

Because piston buttons are way too heavy.

It's not a coincidence that every major high performance piston manufacturer uses either Spiral Locks, or the Spring clips that Wiseco uses.