Piston, Ring, Pin, and Connecting Rod Removal and Installation
3. Metal or Hard Carbon - Remove

1.
If you can feel a ridge of metal or hard carbon around the top of each cylinder, remove it with a ridge reamer (A). Follow the reamer manufacturer's instructions. If the ridge is not removed, it may damage the piston as it is pushed out.

4. Piston/Connecting Rod Assembly - Remove


1.
Use the wooden handle of a hammer (A) to drive out the piston/connecting rod assembly (B). Take care not to damage the cylinder with the connecting rod.

2.
Reinstall the connecting rod bearings and caps after removing each piston/connecting rod assembly.

3.
Mark each piston/connecting rod assembly with its cylinder number to make sure they are reused in original order.

NOTE: The existing number on the connecting rod does not indicate its position in the engine, it indicates the rod bore size.

5. Piston Ring - Remove


1.
Using a ring expander (A), remove the old piston rings (B).

2.
Clean all the ring grooves thoroughly with a squared-off broken ring or a ring groove cleaner with a blade to fit the piston grooves. File down the blade, if necessary. The top and second ring grooves are 1.0 mm (0.039 in) wide and the oil ring groove is 2.0 mm (0.079 in) wide. Do not use a wire brush to clean the ring grooves or cut the ring grooves deeper with the cleaning tool.

NOTE: If the piston is to be separated from the connecting rod, do not install new rings yet.

6. Piston Ring End Gap - Inspect

1.
Using a piston, push a new ring (A) into the cylinder bore 15?20 mm (0.59?0.79 in) from the bottom.


2.
Measure the piston ring end-gap (B) with a feeler gauge:

If the gap is too small, check to see if you have the proper rings for your engine.
If the gap is too large, recheck the cylinder bore diameter against the wear limits. If the bore is beyond the service limit, the engine block must be rebored.

Piston Ring End-Gap
Top Ring
Standard (New):
RIKEN:
0.15?0.25 mm (0.006?0.009 in)
TPR:
0.15?0.30 mm (0.006?0.011 in)
Service Limit:
0.60 mm (0.023 in)
Second Ring
Standard (New):
0.30?0.42 mm (0.012?0.016 in)
Service Limit:
0.65 mm (0.025 in)
Oil Ring
Standard (New):
RIKEN:
0.20?0.50 mm (0.008 ?0.019 in)
TPR:
0.10?0.40 mm (0.004?0.015 in)
Service Limit:
0.80 mm (0.031 in)

7. Piston Pin - Remove

1.
Apply new engine oil to the piston pin snap rings (A), and turn them in the ring grooves until the end gaps are lined up with the cutouts in the piston pin bores (B).

NOTE: Take care not to damage the ring grooves.





2.
Remove the snap rings (A) from both sides of each piston. Start at the cutout in the piston pin bore. Remove the snap rings carefully so they do not go flying or get lost. Wear eye protection.





3.
Heat the piston and the connecting rod assembly to about 158 °F (70 °C), then remove the piston pin.

8. Piston Pin - Inspect

1.
Measure the diameter of the piston pin.

Piston Pin Diameter
Standard (New):
17.960?17.964 mm (0.70709?0.70724 in)
Service Limit:
17.960 mm (0.70709 in)





2.
Zero the dial indicator (A) to the piston pin diameter.





3.
Check the difference between the piston pin diameter and the piston pin hole diameter in the piston.

Piston Pin-to-Piston Clearance
Standard (New):
-0.004?0.003 mm (-0.00016?0.00012 in)
Service Limit:
0.006 mm (0.00024 in)





4.
Measure the piston pin-to-connecting rod clearance.

Piston Pin-to-Connecting Rod Clearance
Standard (New):
0.005?0.015 mm (0.00020?0.00059 in)
Service Limit:
0.020 mm (0.00079 in)

1. Piston Pin - Install


1.
Install a piston pin snap ring (A) only on one side.

2.
Coat the piston pin bore in the piston, the bore in the connecting rod, and the piston pin with new engine oil.





3.
Heat the piston to about 158 °F (70 °C).







4.
Assemble the piston (A) and the connecting rod (B) with the arrow (C) and the embossed mark (D) on the same side. Install the piston pin (E).

5.
Install the remaining snap ring (F).

6.
Turn the snap rings in the ring grooves until the end gaps are positioned at the bottom of the piston.

2. Piston Ring - Install




1.
Install the piston rings as shown.

LASER MARK
TOP RING (A)
SECOND RING (B)
RK 1
RK 2
SRI 1
SRI 2
USHA 1
USHA 2
RW 1
RW 2
ARC 1
ARC 2
1TT
2TT
1TA
2TA
1TU
2TU

2.
The manufacturing marks (C) must be facing upward.





3.
After installing a new set of rings, measure the ring-to-groove clearances.

Ring-to-Groove Clearance
Top Ring
Standard (New):
0.065?0.090 mm (0.003 in)
Service Limit:
0.130 mm (0.005 in)
Second Ring
Standard (New):
RIKEN:
0.030?0.055 mm (0.002 in)
TRP:
0.035?0.060 mm (0.002 in)
Service Limit:
0.120 mm (0.004 in)






4.
Rotate the rings in their grooves to make sure they do not bind.

5.
Position the ring end gaps as shown.

3. Piston/Connecting Rod Assembly - Install


1.
Remove the connecting rod caps, then install the ring compressor, and check that the bearing is securely in place.

2.
Apply new engine oil to the piston, inside of the ring compressor, and the cylinder bore, then attach the ring compressor to the piston/connecting rod assembly.

3.
Position the piston/connecting rod assembly with the arrow (A) facing the cam chain side of the engine block.






4.
Position the piston/connecting rod assembly in the cylinder, and tap it in using the wooden handle of a hammer (A). Maintain downward force on the ring compressor (B) to prevent the rings from expanding before entering the cylinder bore.

5.
Stop after the ring compressor pops free, and check the connecting rod-to-rod journal alignment before pushing the piston into place.