Hey Grumpy,
Yes, I dislike these circlips very much. I didn't understand your method. But I just finished installing one of the circlips.
The way I did it was pretty much like the extraction method you mentioned but in reverse order: Basically I inserted one end of the circlip at about the 11 o'clock mark inside the groove, then sustained the circlip at 7 o'clock pressing against the piston, then with my needle nose pliers I gripped the circlip at the 4 o'clock mark and pushed towards the centre of the piston and towards the left at the same time and by that time I was able to push the pliers inside the 3 o'clock cut-away and finally insert the other end of the circlip inside the groove.
It was really difficult, I know it seems easy but it was my first time and the piston is about the size of my thumb and the pliers were large.
