Piston & Connecting Rod: Removal

WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2003 Dodge Intrepid, 2003 Chrysler Intrepid, 2003 Chrysler Concorde, and 2003 Chrysler 300M. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.

Remove the cylinder heads (Refer to REMOVAL ).
Remove the oil pan. (Refer to REMOVAL ).
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 that each connecting rod is centered in cylinder bore.
Inspect connecting rods and connecting rod caps for cylinder identification. Identify them if necessary (Fig 1).

Fig 1: Identifying Connecting Rod To Cylinder Identification
Courtesy of DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORP.
Remove connecting rod cap. Install protectors on connecting rod bolts (Fig 2). Push each piston and rod assembly out of cylinder bore.
NOTE: Be careful not to nick crankshaft journals.

Fig 2: Identifying Connecting Rod Guides And Crankshaft Protectors
Courtesy of DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORP.
After removal, install bearing cap on the mating rod.