Transmission Retaining Rings

[Northracing]

I've had to do some work on the layshaft of my 350 transmission requiring me to remove and eventually replace the retaining rings. I have found the retaining rings hard to remove. I have a pair of pliers made for gripping external retaining rings ends but they'd slip off as soon as I tried to expand the rings.

I did get them off by sliding 3mm diameter steel pins under the rings and sliding them off along the pins.

My question, is there a better way to do this? Better yet, is there a type of pliers available that can grip and hold the ends of these rings?

Thanks in advance.

Derek

[Duccout]

Hi Derek,

They are a pain to remove. I bought a pair of circlp pliers from eBay that did work, but I don't know if they are any different to what you have got. Mine have a sort of flat blade on each jaw that slips under the ends of the circlip.

Cheers,

Colin

[blethermaskite]

The last time I had to remove one of these I ordered a couple of replacements from Nigel lacey and broke the old circlip off, my previous experience of getting these 'off' was so difficult I kinda over expanded the circlip and ruined it......I like your method of sliding it off over pins . Cheers george

[Northracing]

My removal method appears to have stretched the retaining rings beyond reuse, new ones on the way.

I have a set of more modern pliers on order with what looks like a bigger surface area to grip the rings, if only for installing new ones.

Hopefully not a job that needs doing often.

Derek