Circlips

[PeterH]

When I was an apprentice (40+ years ago) we were always told to fit circlips with the sharp edge outwards. The reasoning being that it would bite into the groove better and also give you a better hole for the pliers to grip for fitting / removal.

 

I've never seen this detailed anywhere - is it general practice or was it just a quirk of our instructor's.

 

 

 

 

[DerekS]

Peter, that is what I was always told, too, good practice on both points, particularly with regards to the grip on the circlip pliers. Also, there could be slight variations with the width and depth of the groove depending on how carefully it had been machined. Always a better bet when doing U/js.

There was at one time a need to check the inner race on plain bearings, as the inner race, depending on the manufacturer, had a more pronounced radius on the inner race: side/outer face, it was therefor better for fitting up against a shoulder on a shaft. Why does all this stick in your brain?

Best regards, Derek.

[Ben Caswell]

If your fitting circlips to a piston the opening should be at the bottom(6 Oclock) and never to the side (3 0r 9 Oclock)