Twelve fixed-jaw snap ring pliers in 6, 8 and 9 inch with 0 45 and 90 degree tips from .038 to .090 in, for retainer rings buried inside a drum or case bore.
Every automatic transmission rebuild is a string of retaining rings: the ring that holds a clutch pack in its drum, the one that keeps a piston return spring retainer in place, the selective ring that sets clutch clearance, and the small rings on shafts, accumulators and valve body plugs. Most of them sit at the bottom of a drum or behind a shaft where straight pliers cannot reach square. This 12-piece fixed-tip set gives you the length, tip size and jaw angle to get onto each ring cleanly, in internal or external action, without bending the ring or scoring the bore.
Internal rings sit in a groove inside a bore and want to spring outward, so internal-action pliers close the tips when you squeeze to shrink the ring out of its groove. External rings sit on a shaft and want to spring inward, so external-action pliers open the tips to expand the ring over the shaft. Being able to flip one plier between the two modes means a single tool covers both ring types at that size and angle. The angled jaws are the real reason to buy a set like this: a 45 or 90 degree tip lets you come at a ring buried deep in a clutch drum or reaction shell from the side and still seat both tips fully in the lug holes.
Match the tip to the lug hole, not to the ring diameter. The largest tip that drops fully into the hole without forcing is the right one, because it spreads the load across the eye and is least likely to slip. Small rings with tiny eyes need the .038 or .047 in tips; the large rings that retain clutch packs and return-spring retainers usually call for the .070 or .090 in tips. Use straight jaws when you can see the ring face-on, and switch to 45 or 90 degree jaws as soon as you would otherwise have to tilt the tool. If you also want a compact second set for the roll-around toolbox, the GEARWRENCH 89701 4-piece set covers 7 and 9 inch sizes.
These pliers are not tied to one transmission. They suit the internal and external retaining rings found in GM, Ford, Chrysler and import automatics, manual gearboxes, transfer cases and axle assemblies, as long as the ring lug hole accepts one of the four tip sizes. If you are unsure, measure the lug hole with a drill bit or pin gauge before you start. You will find the rest of the bench tools we carry in our transmission tools collection.
Our bench rebuild tools guide lists what else belongs on the bench, and the air check procedure shows how to confirm each clutch after the rings are in.
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Use the largest of the four tips that fits fully into the ring lug hole. Small shaft and valve body rings usually take .038 or .047 in, while clutch pack and spring retainer rings usually take .070 or .090 in. Measure the hole if you are unsure.
Yes. Each plier has a quick-release button that switches it between internal action, which closes the tips to shrink a ring in a bore, and external action, which opens the tips to expand a ring on a shaft.
Fixed tips cannot loosen or rotate in the jaw under load, so they are less likely to walk out of a heavily loaded ring and scratch a bore. The tradeoff is that you get twelve pliers instead of one handle with loose tips.
Any time the ring sits deep in a drum, behind a shaft or under a lip where straight jaws would have to be tilted. Angled jaws let both tips enter the lug holes square, which is what keeps the ring from slipping.
No. Compress the return springs with a spring compressor first, then remove the ring. Trying to hold spring pressure with the pliers is how rings and retainers fly.
