Oh Dear, it shouldn't have done that!

[Jerry Coles]

Hi all
Stripping my spare Dexta block for new liners etc.
Got to the point of removing all main and big end bearing caps so that the crankshaft can be removed.
I straddle the block, take the strain and smoothly lift up and away the crankshaft.
Then I notice that no1 con rod has not dropped off the crankshaft as expected but has been pulled down (if it was the right way up) into the bottom of the engine. Attached of course is the piston and guess what? The piston skirt has now butted up to the main bearing shoulders and most of the piston rings have now expanded outwards.
I now have the situation where the piston will not go past the main bearings and the expanded rings are preventing the piston going back up the bore.
There is a tiny amount of space allowing the piston/conrod to rotate but thats all.
So the questions are:
A Is it possible to compress the rings so that the piston can re enter the bore?
B Bearing in mind its to have new liners, pistons etc is the only course of action to drill out/destroy/mangle the piston/rings to recover the conrod?
All suggestions gratefully received.
Cheers
Jerry

[john.n]

can you snap the pison rings off then push it back in to the bore?
you will be replacing the rings anyway i assume

Regards,
John

[Jerry Coles]

Got prepared to use a big hammer, drill, cold chisel etc.
Found I didn't need them! Just two long thin screwdrivers to pull away the rings which in the case of the cast ring just snapped and with the spring ones twisted out. Five minutes and out came the piston!! Job done, now it's a clean down and off to the engine restorers for new liners, pistons etc.
Cheers
Jerry