Removal and Replacement

Piston and Connecting Rod

Special tools, testers and auxiliary items required

• Guide Pins (8189)

Removing

- Remove the cylinder heads. Refer to => [ Right Cylinder Head ] Right Cylinder Head and => [ Left Cylinder Head ] Left Cylinder Head.

- Remove the oil pan. Refer to => [ Oil Pan ] Service and Repair.

- Remove the ridge from the top of the cylinder bore with a reliable ridge reamer before removing the piston from the cylinder block. Be sure to keep the top of the piston covered during this operation.






- Inspect the connecting rods and caps for cylinder identification. Identify them with a paint mark or scribe (1), if necessary.






- Remove the connecting rod cap. Install guide pins (8189) (3) onto the connecting rod (4). Push each piston and connecting rod out of the cylinder bore.

- The piston and connecting rod must be removed from the top of cylinder block. When removing the piston and connecting rod from the engine, rotate the crankshaft so that each connecting rod is centered in the cylinder bore.

• Be careful not to nick the crankshaft journals.

- After removal, install the bearing caps onto the mating connecting rods.

Installing

- Install new piston rings to the new piston. Refer to => [ Piston Rings ] Service and Repair.






• The connecting rod bearing cap bolts (1 and 4) must be examined before reuse. If the threads are necked down (2), the bolts must be replaced.

- Check the connecting rod bolts for necking (2) by holding a scale or straight edge against the threads. If all threads do not contact the scale, the bolt must be replaced.






- Before installing the piston and connecting rod, ensure that the compression ring gaps are staggered (1 and 5) so that neither is in line with the oil ring rail gap (2 and 4).

- Immerse the piston head and rings in clean engine oil.






- Install a piston ring compressor (2) over the piston (1) and tighten with the special wrench. Ensure that the position of the piston rings does not change during this operation.

- Install the guide pins (8189) (3) onto the connecting rod.

- Rotate the crankshaft so that the connecting rod journal is on the center of the cylinder bore. Insert the connecting rod and piston into the cylinder bore and guide the connecting rod (4) over the crankshaft journal.


Do not interchange the piston assemblies, either cylinder to cylinder or bank to bank.








- The arrow (1) on the top of the piston must be pointing toward the front of the engine and the oil squirt hole on the connecting rod faces the major thrust (right) side of the cylinder bore.

- Tap the piston down into the cylinder bore, using a hammer handle. At the same time, guide the connecting rod into position on the connecting rod journal.

- Install the connecting rod caps. Install the cleaned and inspected, connecting rod bolts. Tighten the bolts to 27 Nm (20 ft lbs) + 90 degree additional turn.

- Install the oil pan. Refer to => [ Oil Pan ] Service and Repair.

- Install the cylinder heads. Refer to => [ Right Cylinder Head ] Right Cylinder Head and/or => [ Left Cylinder Head ] Left Cylinder Head.