I took the DLE 20 engine apart and removed the stuck ring and cleaned everything put the ring back on the piston … could not get piston back in engine.... is there a technique to this procedure.... Thanks... Richard

There is a pin in the ring groove that MUST be lined up with the gap in the ring when installing the piston in the cylinder. Pin is not unique to the DLE 20. EVERY 2 stroke engine I've ever had apart has this pin. It's there to prevent the end of the ring from snagging one of the openings in the cylinder. Noteworthy is the fact that if you force the piston into the cylinder, there's a very good chance you'll break the ring. -Al

Thanks for the reply and help.... ring is now installed but am concerned for the needle bearing that the piston attaches to ... some of the bearing pins fell out... they were replaced
back into the bearing... is it ok to run this engine or should I replace this bearing.... ? Thanks....

Replace it if you can get it out, it uses a press if memory serves.

You dont want them going through your engine.

Also, ATF makes a great assembly lube, distribute it while you're reassembling the motor around the ring and sleeve and as noted before, make sure you have the gap over the index pin

Thanks... I will see what I can do with removing the bearing.... Why did the roller bearing parts fall out... does that happen when working on the ring...etc....? sometimes...

First, are we talking about the bearing at the piston end of the rod (wristpin) or the bearing on the crankshaft crankpin? The bearing on the wristpin is easily replaced where the one on the crankpin is captive and can't be replaced easily. If the bearing on the crankpin is bad, the crankshaft and bearing are usually replaced as an assembly on the DLE20. Simply stated, if the needles fell out, the bearing is shot and has to be replaced or it will continue to fall apart and the metal bits will destroy your engine. The wristpin bearings are readily available from Tower or companies like Valley View RC and are relatively cheap at less than $10.

Add on to previous post. Early DLE20 engines were prone to bearing failure simply because they used cheap bearings. More recent engines have better quality, more robust bearings and failures are much less frequent.

Back to the original subject of this thread ..... a stuck ring. The most common cause is overheating or poor oil quality. Either of which could have contributed to a bearing failure.