Ziploc bag trick for tiny o-rings

[DirtyHoe]

Not sure if the following is an original idea or not. I have snapped three tiny o-rings(.101 ID X .07 thick) trying to install them on the guide that is inside the secondary relief valve to the loader control valve on my 580C. I put the guide and the o-ring in hot oil on the kitchen stove. By the time you get them out of the oil and try to install the o-ring it has cooled down and won't stretch. Then snap! I ruined another one.

So here is my trick that worked the first time. After heating the oil in a pan to about 170 degrees I put the o-ring and guide in the oil to soak up the heat for a minute. Then I put the parts and hot oil into the bag and sealed it shut. Next I installed the o-ring by working through the outside of the clear bag. It worked perfect the first time. Doing it this way gives you a lot of time to install the o-ring without the oil and parts cooling down.

Steve

 

[thepumpguysc]

Kool idea.. & thanks for the pics..
Using a baggie to install seals works great on the inj pump drive shaft seals also..
Slip the baggie over the shaft & run the seals over the baggie.. it keeps the seals from dropping into the grooves meant for another seal..
(If u don’t have the installation tool)

 

[Fred from MO]

Great Idea! Thanks for sharing. I have used this idea on very small springs and e-clips when assembling things by doing them in a ziploc. Quite often you can launch a spring off a shaft when installing it and now its "somewhere in the shop". If you use a bag and it launches, then the bag catches it and you do not loose the spring or e-clip.

 

[mitch504]

Welp, 2 good ideas in 1 thread, not bad

 

[Welder Dave]

Great Tip! Look for the new Ziploc assembly bags in the tool section at your favorite retailer. Might be a good idea to apply for a patent as they were never intended to be used for mechanical stuff.

 

[kshansen]

Great Idea! Thanks for sharing. I have used this idea on very small springs and e-clips when assembling things by doing them in a ziploc. Quite often you can launch a spring off a shaft when installing it and now its "somewhere in the shop". If you use a bag and it launches, then the bag catches it and you do not loose the spring or e-clip.

Where were you people when I was removing the wire type retainer ring for the screen in the carb of my Homelite chain saw? It was in at the most a 5/16 inch diameter hole. I did not think too much about it as there was a new one in the kit, but seems the new one is a touch bigger and I spent hours trying to poke it in without destroying the new screen.

I finally gave up and found a small coil spring the right diameter but a light gauge wire and sniped a section out of it and made a new ring that was easier to install.

And yes I did spend probably an hour or more searching for the original ring even dragging a magnet all over the bench or floor!