help with retaining ring pliers

[comedyman809]

i have a new set of sk retaining ring pliers
i love them and they work great.

but, there is a small motor i work on and the retaining ring on it is the really tiny one, i think 1/8 or maybe a little smaller.

when it comes to little rings, these pliers tips are not close or straight enough to fit in the ring. when you look at all the tips, they are crooked, so i bought a few different brands , like a cheapo on amazon and then a wiha, still the tips were bent and did not fit(they look like they should fit if the tips were straight).

does anyone know how i can get a hold of a retaining ring(external) plier that has very straight tips and will work with the tiniest of retaining rings.

please help, i search for small retaining ring pliers and nothing helpful comes up.

 

[scaron]

i work on a lot of small engines (50cc) and i use either a channellock 907 (discontinued, i think they're _way_ better than the 927 they replaced it with) or a wilde 444K set from epstein's and i haven't found a snap ring yet that's too small for either of them. of the two, the wilde has a larger selection of tips, but either one is a great snap ring plier.

 

[comedyman809]

if you look at the tips, are they very straight or do they look imperfect. im talking about the rings that dont even have actual holes for the tips to grab, they have semi-circles because they are so small

 

[ChevyEFI]

What kind of retaining ring? 1/8" what? i.d. or?
Snap-ring with ( ) ends?
" " with (o| |o) ends?
Square cut wire lock-rings?

If #1 or #3, you may best be served by buying a small pair of external ring type with a very solid pivot, and beating or filing them until they're to your happiness. Everyone is building to a price these days.

 

[comedyman809]

1/8" external ring

 

[comedyman809]

() type ring

i looked on mcmaster, seems they may have what i need
http://www.mcmaster.com/#retaining-ring-pliers/=ovr64n

 

[zkling]

Are you working on an RC engine or the like? I know those use some tiny rings. Are the SK pliers you have fixed or replaceable tips? Usually the fixed tip ones are better for tight spots. Craftsman makes a nice set, not sure if they sell them individually.

Wiha also makes them for tiny rings.

http://www.wihatools.com/300seri/326_rr_external.htm

 

[comedyman809]

well i work on scientific machines, this happens to be a shaker. big old ugly machine that has a cross flow fan with all OEM parts, so rebuilding the parts makes the job affordable for customers. i am into rc, but not in this case.

the part in question is a little ac motor, ebm papst is the brand.

but the ring is or about 1/8"

 

[comedyman809]

funniy thing about that pair wihas, is i ordered them, and when i went to remove the ring, the tips were bent, so i tried to straighten, but the tip snapped off, so i used a screwdriver and and got it out, but i want the correct tool

i just ordered the one from mcmaster, well see how it works.

 

[zkling]

Is it really a retaining rig or an E clip? Does it look like the upper right ring?

 

[comedyman809]

top row, all the way to the right, and tiny.

 

[devoncoolman]

Snap-on, and knipex both make nice snap ring pliers. Not porly forged like most.