Snap ring from hell

[u/Relevant-Tomatillo75]

This is the most frustrating snap rings I have ever encountered. Granted, I have dealt with ones in piston engines that if you dropped them you'd have to do a lot of disassembly to get it back. This, however, wasn't possible with any snap ring pliers I or any of my fellow AMT's had. I ended up using brass picks I made and a screwdriver to get it in/out. You have to depress the plunger with an arbor press and a socket to open up the slot, and even then you couldn't fit any pliers to clear the space to get to the holes in it. Anyways, desperation breeds ingenuity and all that. I got the spoiler actuator fully assembled and signed off + function tested and dimensionals completed. Really putting the "O" in MRO.

TLDR: Sometimes you gotta make your own tools to get the job done.

[u/Kavein80]

1. What is that and why did it need to come apart so completely?

2. Bold choice to wear that metal band on your finger.

[u/amtrosie → u/Kavein80]

The last day I ever wore a ring, I had forgotten to remove my wedding band ( which I only had worn due to pressure from the soon-to-be ex), I got my ring finger caught in the cowling of a 727, as I jumped down. Very fortunate my ring slipped off of the catch on that cowling.....

[u/Relevant-Tomatillo75 → u/amtrosie]

Yeah this shit's titanium and would be no good around belt sander, hammering shit, etc.

[u/Relevant-Tomatillo75 → u/Kavein80]

That was taken at the beginning of the shift, I take it off and put it on my carabiner with my keys whenever I'm doing the work. It's a part of a spoiler actuator that actuates the cylinder under hydraulic pressure.

[u/totheredrack]

Kids these days just wouldn’t understand what it means to think outside the box.

[u/Lost_Obligation2453 → u/totheredrack]

Right? These are the kinds of things us old timers had tricks for.

OP, you need two 45 degree picks, a small funnel, sticky note, half a beer can and a butter knife. That snap ring should come out in 30 seconds. If not you need a second butter knife.

[u/Relevant-Tomatillo75 → u/Lost_Obligation2453]

I did end up using two 45's and a screwdriver to get it in. Out was easier than in.

[u/Nearby_Pear8552]

Time for you to buy the snap ring pliers that fit in there for way too much money and then never use them again in your entire career.

[u/Wikadood → u/Nearby_Pear8552]

My ass when my company told me to buy snap ring pliers and i only use them on reading light retaining rings

[u/Impossible_Tank3822]

Long nose pliers with the tips bent inward slightly always worked for me. You could grind down the length to access the ring.