Standard Procedure-Piston Fitting
WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2003 Dodge Dakota. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.
Piston and cylinder wall must be clean and dry. Specified clearance between the piston and the cylinder wall is 0.013-0.038 mm (0.0005-0.0015 inch) at 21°C (70°F).
Piston diameter should be measured at the top of skirt, 90° to piston pin axis. Cylinder bores should be measured halfway down the cylinder bore and transverse to the engine crankshaft center line.
Pistons and cylinder bores should be measured at normal room temperature, 21°C (70°F).
Check the pistons for taper and elliptical shape before they are fitted into the cylinder bore (Fig 1).