Pistons and Connecting Rods

Removal

1. Drain the cooling system. Refer to Section 03-03. Remove oil pan drain plug (6730) and drain oil pan (6675).

2. Remove the cylinder head (6049) and related parts. Refer to Cylinder Head in the In-Vehicle Service portion of this section.

3. Remove the oil pan. Remove the oil pump screen cover and tube (6622) and the oil pump (6600).

4.  CAUTION: Never cut into the ring travel area in excess of 0.74mm (1/32 inch) when removing ridges.

   Rotate the crankshaft (6303) until the piston to be removed is at the bottom of the stroke and place a cloth on the piston dome to collect the cuttings. Remove any ridge and/or deposits from the upper end of the cylinder bore with Cylinder Ridge Reamer T64L-6011-EA. Follow the instructions furnished by the tool manufacturer.

5. Make sure all the connecting rod caps are marked so that they can be installed in their original positions. Remove the connecting rod cap.

6. Push the connecting rod and piston assembly out the top of the cylinder with the handle end of a hammer. Avoid damage to the crankshaft journal or the cylinder wall when removing the piston and rod.

Installation

1. Clean the oil pump screen cover and tube and the oil pan and cylinder block (6010) gasket surfaces.

2. Oil the piston rings, pistons and cylinder walls with light engine oil.

3. Make sure pistons are installed in the same cylinders from which they were removed or to which they were fitted. The connecting rods (6200) and bearing caps are numbered from 1 to 6 beginning at the front of the engine (6007). The number on the connecting rod and bearing cap must be on the same side of rod when installing in the cylinder bore. If a connecting rod is ever transferred from one cylinder block to another or from one cylinder to another, new connecting rod bearings (6211) should be fitted and the connecting rod should be renumbered to correspond with the new cylinder number.

4. Make sure the ring gaps (oil ring spacer A, oil ring segment B, and compression ring C in the following illustration) are properly spaced around the circumference of the piston. Oil the rings, then install Piston Ring Compressor D81L-6002-C or equivalent on the piston. Make sure that the indentation in the dome of piston is toward the front.

5. Push the piston into its bore with the handle end of a hammer until it is slightly below the top of the cylinder. Be sure to guide the connecting rods to avoid damaging the crankshaft journals.

   

   

6. Check the clearance of each connecting rod bearing. Refer to Section 03-00.

7. After the connecting rod bearings have been fitted, apply a light coat of engine oil to the journals and connecting rod bearing.

8. Rotate the crankshaft to the bottom of its stroke. Then, push the piston all the way down until the connecting rod bearing seats on the crankshaft journal. Install the connecting rod cap. Tighten the nuts to 55-61 Nm (40-45 lb-ft).

9. After the piston and connecting rod assemblies have been installed, check the connecting rod side clearance using a feeler gauge on each crankshaft journal.

   

10. Prime the oil pump by filling the inlet opening with oil and rotating the oil pump intermediate shaft (6A618) until oil emerges from the outlet opening. Install the oil pump and the oil pump screen cover and tube. Install the oil pan and related parts. Refer to Oil Pan in the In-Vehicle Service portion of this section.

11. Install the cylinder head and related parts. Refer to Cylinder Head in the In-Vehicle Service portion of this section. Adjust the valve clearance. Refer to Valve Clearance in the Adjustments portion of this section.

12. Fill and bleed the cooling system. Refer to Section 03-03. Fill the crankcase with oil specified in Section 00-03.

13. Start the engine and check for oil pressure. Operate the engine at fast idle and check for oil and coolant leaks.

14. Operate the engine until engine temperatures have stabilized. Check and adjust the ignition timing. Refer to Section 03-07A.