Pistons and Connecting Rod Assembly Overview

Pistons and Connecting Rod Assembly Overview

• Oil injector jet for piston cooling.





1 Bolt - 30 Nm + 90° (1/4) additional turn

• Always replace.

• Lubricate the threads and contact surface.

• Tighten to 30 Nm when measuring radial clearance, do not turn further.

2 Connecting Rod Bearing Cap

• Do not interchange.

• Mark allocation to the cylinder using a color mark - B -.

• When installing the bearing cap, the tabs - A - on the contact surfaces on the front side of the connecting rod must align.

• Installed position of connecting rods.

3 Bearing Shell

• Note the installed position.

• Do not interchange used bearing shells (mark them).

• Radial clearance, checking. Refer to => [ Connecting Rod Radial Clearance, Checking ] Testing and Inspection.

• When measuring radial clearance, tighten the bolts - item 1 - to 30 Nm and no further.

4 Connecting Rod

• Only replace as a set.

• Mark allocation to the cylinder using a color mark - B -.

• When installing the bearing cap, the tabs - A - on the contact surfaces on front side of the connecting rod must align.

• Installed position of connecting rods.

5 Circlip

6 Piston Pin

• If tight, heat the piston to 60 °C (140° F).

• Remove and install using the pilot drift (VW 222A).

7 Piston

• Installed position and allocation, piston/cylinder.

• Arrow on the piston face points toward the belt pulley side.

• Checking, refer to => [ Piston, Checking ] Testing and Inspection.

• Install with a piston ring compressor.

• Piston and cylinder dimensions, refer to => [ Piston and Cylinder Dimensions ] [1][2]Piston, Engine.

• Cylinder bore checking, refer to => [ Cylinder Bore, Checking ] Testing and Inspection.

8 Piston Rings

• Offset gaps by 120 degrees.

• Use piston ring pliers for removal and installation.

• Marking or identification "TOP", the marked side must face toward the piston head.

• Ring gap checking, refer to => [ Piston Ring Gap, Checking ] Piston Ring Gap, Checking.

• Piston ring groove clearance checking, refer to => [ Piston Ring Groove Clearance, Checking ] Piston Ring Groove Clearance, Checking.

Installed Position and Piston and Piston to Cylinder Allocation





- Mark the installed position and allocation to the cylinder on the piston head using chalk or a waterproof felt tip pen.

• Do not use a center punch or scribe, since the piston head coating will be damaged.

• Installed position: Arrow on piston face points toward the belt pulley side

Connecting Rod Marking





• Only replace connecting rods as a set.

• Do not interchange the connecting rod bearings.

- Before removing, mark the allocation of the connecting rod and connecting rod bearing cap to each other and to the cylinder - arrow - using a color mark.

Connecting Rod, Installed Position





• Molded tabs - arrows - at the beveled surfaces of the connecting rod pairs 1 and 2, 3 and 4 as well as 5 and 6 must point toward each other.

Oil Spray Jet for Piston Cooling





1 Bolt, 10 Nm
2 Oil spray jet for piston cooling