Piston, Pin, and Connecting Rod Installation
- Lubricate the following components with clean engine oil:
- Piston
- Piston rings
- Cylinder bore
- Bearings and bearing surfaces
- Install the bearings to the connecting rod and cap.
- Position the oil control ring end gaps a minimum of 25 mm (1.0 in) from each other.
- Position the compression ring end gaps 180 degrees opposite each other.
- Install the EN - 41556 rod guide to the connecting rod.
- Identify the proper installation direction of the piston and connecting rod assembly. The right and left side are assembled differently. Right Side: The arrow on top of the piston and the dimple (2) on the rod face the same direction. When installing the right side piston and rod (3) assemblies, the arrow on top of the piston and the dimple (2) on the rod face the front of the engine. the raised bump (4) on bottom of rod (3) will be closest to the outside of the engine.
- Left Side: the arrow on top of the piston and the dimple on the rod face the opposite direction. When installing the left side piston and rod (2) assemblies, the arrow on top of the piston faces the front of the engine and the dimple on the rod faces the rear of the engine. The raised bump (3) on the bottom of rod will be closest to the outside of engine.
- Hard anodized and Teflon coated for low friction and prolonged wear resistance.
- Smooth radius that tapers down to the specific bore size.
- Sleeve should compress the piston rings smoothly and evenly.
- Using a ring compressor sleeve greatly reduces the difficulty with installing thin high-performance oil rings.
- Compress the piston rings using a ring compressor sleeve or equivalent.
- Install the piston, pin, and connecting rod assembly into the cylinder bore. Tap the piston into the bore with a wooden hammer handle. Guide the connecting rod to the crankshaft journal using the J-41556 rod guide while gently tapping the piston into place. Hold the ring compressor sleeve or equivalent against the engine block until all rings have entered the cylinder bore.
- Remove the EN - 41556 rod guide from the connecting rod.
- The connecting rod and cap must be assembled with the mating surfaces properly aligned.
- If re-using connecting rods, DO NOT re-use connecting rod fasteners. During an installation procedure, the new connecting rod bolts can be re-tightened a maximum of 3 times.
- Install the bearing (1), bearing cap (2), and bolts (3).
- Tighten the bolts a first pass to 20 N.m (15 lb ft).
- Tighten the bolts a final pass to 85 degrees using the EN - 45059 angle meter.
- Measure the connecting rods for the proper side clearance. Refer to Engine Mechanical Specifications (L83)Engine Mechanical Specifications (L86) .
When installing a piston into a cylinder, use a ring compressor sleeve or equivalent for best results. The following features should be looked for when selecting a ring compressor sleeve.
If a ring compressor sleeve is unavailable, a universal ring compressor will work, but is more difficult to use.
The arrow on the top of the piston MUST face the front of the engine block. The deepest portion of the fuel bowls (1) must be toward the outside of the engine.
This vehicle is equipped with torque-to-yield or single use fasteners. Install a NEW torque-to-yield or single use fastener when installing this component. Failure to replace the torque-to-yield or single use fastener could cause damage to the vehicle or component.
Refer to Fastener Caution .