Piston circlip removal ??

[corrado]

My Imola piston appears to have the clips with no tags and there's no cut outs in the piston to release them either. They don't appear to want to move and I'm thinking that they're gummed with carbon. How the heck am I supposed to remove them? Any ideas?

[coaster]

There's usually a small cutout in the edge of the gudgeon pin hole to let you get a small spike (I use a scribber) under the clip. Without the cutout it is a bit of a pig but I've nanaged it with the scribber.

[Muttley McLadd]

Dremmel?

[rosscla]

You'll need something with a fine hard point like a dental pick

[corrado]

You'll need something with a fine hard point like a dental pick

Yes, I've got one of those, I'll give it a go later. Tried it with the tip of a round needle file yesterday but the tip snapped off.
I'm on a roll of "what can go wrong will go wrong" at the minute but it's got to end sometime.

[coaster]

Just wondering if it would be viable to drill a very small hole diagonally under the circlip so you can get the spike under it?

[corrado]

Martin [knowledge] suggested that on LCGB, that'll be my last resort. Not had a torch inside yet so see if I've missed anything obvious.

[Tosh]

i use a bradawl what i use to put holes into timber and the likes,its about 1inch long spike with a wooden handle works a treat.

[corrado]

Success, I used a small round needle file to cut my own groove in the piston so that I could get under the side of the clip.

If I could only get my hands on the numpty that fitted them.