Piston Ring Replacement

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Remove the pistons from the engine block (see CRANKSHAFT AND PISTON REMOVAL ).
Using a ring expander (A), remove the old piston rings (B).

Fig 1: Removing Piston Rings Using Ring Expander
Courtesy of AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR CO., INC.
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 ring and second ring grooves are 1.2 mm (0.047 in) wide, and the oil ring groove is 2.8 mm (0.110 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.
Using a piston, push a new ring (A) into the cylinder bore 15-20 mm (0.59-0.79 in) from the bottom.

Fig 2: Pushing Ring Into Cylinder Bore Using Piston
Courtesy of AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR CO., INC.
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 (see step 4 ). If the bore is over the service limit, the engine block must be rebored.
Piston Ring End-Gap

Top Ring:

Standard (New): 0.20-0.35 mm (0.008-0.013 in)

Service Limit: 0.60 mm (0.023 in)

Second Ring:

Standard (New): 0.40-0.55 mm (0.016-0.021 in)

Service Limit: 0.70 mm (0.027 in)

Oil Ring:

Standard (New): 0.20-0.70 mm (0.008-0.027 in)

Service Limit: 0.80 mm (0.031 in)
Install the rings as shown. The top ring (A) has a 1D mark and the second ring (B) has a 2X mark. The manufacturing marks (C) must be facing upward.

Fig 3: Identifying Piston Rings
Courtesy of AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR CO., INC.

Fig 4: Identifying Piston Rings With Manufacturing Marks
Courtesy of AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR CO., INC.

Piston Ring Dimensions:
After installing a new set of rings, measure the ring-to-groove clearance.
Top Ring Clearance

Standard (New): 0.055-0.080 mm (0.003-0.003 in)

Service Limit: 0.15 mm (0.005 in)

Second Ring Clearance

Standard (New): 0.030-0.055 mm (0.002-0.002 in)

Service Limit: 0.13 mm (0.005 in)

Fig 5: Measuring Ring-To-Groove Clearance
Courtesy of AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR CO., INC.
Rotate the rings in their grooves to make sure they do not bind.
Position the ring end gaps as shown.

Fig 6: Identifying Ring End Gap Position
Courtesy of AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR CO., INC.