Piston & Connecting Rod: Removal

Disconnect negative cable from battery.
Remove the following components:
- Oil pan and gasket/windage tray. See OIL PAN .
- Cylinder head covers See CYLINDER HEAD COVER(S) or CYLINDER HEAD COVER(S) .
- Timing chain cover. See TIMING BELT / CHAIN COVER(S) .
- Cylinder head(s). See CYLINDER HEAD - LEFT or CYLINDER HEAD - RIGHT .
If necessary, remove top ridge of cylinder bores with a reliable ridge reamer before removing pistons from cylinder block. Be sure to keep tops of pistons covered during this operation. Pistons and connecting rods must be removed from top of cylinder block. When removing piston and connecting rod assemblies from the engine, rotate crankshaft so the each connecting rod is centered in cylinder bore.

CAUTION: DO NOT use a number stamp or a punch to mark connecting rods or caps, as damage to connecting rods could occur

NOTE: Connecting rods and bearing caps are not interchangeable and should be marked before removing to ensure correct reassembly.

Mark connecting rod and bearing cap positions using a permanent ink marker or scribe tool.

CAUTION: Care must be taken not to damage the fractured rod and cap joint face surfaces, as engine damage may occur.

Remove connecting rod cap. Install Special Tool 8507 Connecting Rod Guides into the connecting rod being removed. Remove piston from cylinder bore. Repeat this procedure for each piston being removed.

CAUTION: Care must be taken not to nick crankshaft journals, as engine damage may occur

Immediately after piston and connecting rod removal, install bearing cap on the mating connecting rod to prevent damage to the fractured cap and rod surfaces.