Kawasaki 900 zxi ,Top unit installation, piston rings keep slipping

[dlogvine]

Ive been trying to put a top unit of the Kawasaki 900zxi engine and had a really hard time with getting the second piston on. The rings are getting pushed down and dislodged, pistons are moving and getting misaligned. We tried to do it with my friend, but seems like the pistons should be first fixed in desirable positions beforehand. We will try to use some wooden pieces under the pistons to stop them from shifting or like a another friend suggested wise grips on the piston rods to fix them in the right position. Also Im thinking about using the hose clamps tightened enough to keep the rings in place but loose enough to slide down when the cylinder sleeve will push it down. And once the top unit is sitting correctly just open the clamps and remove them.
Anyways, i thought it would be better to ask people with experience on how to do this better. Any advice is helpful.
Thank you .

 

[dlogvine]

Did this with a friend. I was lowering down the top unit and he was adjusting the rings. After about 20 minutes all pistons were in and all rings were properly seated. However a couple words of caution, trying to install the top unit while the lower unit is still in the bay is a waste of time and practically impossible. Also using of the ring clamps is not worth the time.