ok, so I'm starting a rebuild - I've never rebuilt a polaris before and I have to say the piston clips have me stumped.

Looking at the picture below - how do I remove the clip on that piston - if my service manual tells me how, I'll be darned if I can find it, and there's no shortage of questions related to pistons here but I didn't find one specific to this - that's not exactly true, my service manual says its a c-clip but this looks like a solid ring to me.

btw, look at how narly that piston is - the guy that sold it to me had the nerve to tell it had good compression

 

You can use a VERY small screwdriver or a hook scribe(or both) to get in behind the end of the cir-clip and work your way around until it either just kind of falls out or it flies out. If you can't get something behind it due to carbon or whatever you can tap a small chisel or screwdriver into the groove that tapers from the outside of the piston down towards the cir-clip Make sure your new piston kit has the wrist pin, wrist pin bearing, and clips with it, I wouldn't try to re-use any of that ESPECIALLY the cir-clips.

 

Don't overlook any up and down play in the rod itself once the piston is off. Plus roll the rod around to check for any noise/rough feeling from the crank bearings. It it has any rod play at all the engine has to be split,a new rod kit installed along with new bearings and crank seals. This piston looks rough all over.Have to figure the bottom end has to at least been affected by shavings that have worked into the bearings. Hard to wash all this crap out. Last thing you want to happen is a new top end taken out by a lower rod bearing or crank bearings spitting parts up into a freshly bored cylinder and new piston. I've seen too many partial engine jobs ruined and all it does is cost more $ when you have to tear one down and do it right from the cases up. Plus here's a good video on how to install new circlips and how they should face.Don't have the circlip with the open ends horizontal in the piston or they can actually be forced out out of the groove from up and down movement of the piston and do some damage.

 

listen to polaris tech always has good info , I had just replaced my top end on my trailboss a few months back and it was a little tricky but using a small pocket screw driver and a pick to help walk out the clip worked for me. I also would recommend putting a rag around the rod so clip doesn't fall inside to the crank. something else that worked for me is after boring the jug out leave the rags around the rod to keep movement to a minimum I installed the piston to the rod first then used and big hose clamp around the compression rings to allow the jug to slide on over the piston (use oil ) then just unscrew the gear clamp and remove it, then just a matter of torqueing down, but like polaris tech said double check any other damage or its gonna cost twice as much.
hope this helps .