Genuine 2000 Chrysler Cirrus Piston

2000 Chrysler Cirrus Piston Parts Questions & Experts Answers

• Q: What steps must be taken before the inspection process of piston/connecting rod assemblies on 2000 Chrysler Cirrus?

  A: Before the inspection process can be carried out the piston/connecting rod assemblies must be cleaned and the original piston rings should be removed from the pistons and new piston rings should be fitted before assembling. Removing piston rings are best done using a piston ring removal tool to remove the rings from the pistons without damaging them. Remove any surplus carbon from the top of the piston with a hand-held wire brush or fine emery paper after most of the deposits have been removed because the use of a wire brush mounted in a drill motor will erode the surfaces of the soft pistons. Carbon must be scraped out of the piston ring groove and a piston ring groove cleaning tool should be used for this or a piece broken off the old ring would do the same job taking care not to take away the metal of the grooves of piston. Coat and lubricate the cylinders and piston/rod assemblies but before doing this ensure that there are no obstructions in the oil return holes-Remove the deposits-Wash the assemblies with solvent and use compressed air to dry the assemblies. If the pistons and cylinder walls are not damaged or excessively worn and the engine block is not rebored then new pistons may not be required, however new piston rings should always be fitted to the engine when reconditioning. It is essential to visually look for any crack, scores or scuffmark, hole or burn area on each piston, these withdraw attention in overheating or abnormal combustion areas which require checking of cooling and lub oil systems. Pitting is evidence of coolant leakage into the combustion chamber or crankcase and must not reoccur if large amounts of unaccounted metal loss are to be avoided. Check the piston ring side clearance by inserting a new piston ring into each groove and using a snap feeler gauge, take measurement at least three times and at different place and ways and the correct ring must be used for each grove; in case that the amount of side clearance exceeds the limit, new pistons must be installed. The dimension of the cylinder bore and piston diameter should be taken and should fit well; if the clearance is out of limits, then the block has to be rebored and pistons and rings will have to be replaced. Piston-to-rod clearance can be felt by rotating one at a time and moving the piston and the rod in an opposite manner; if the movement is very free, there is some wear that has to be adjusted, and this may require a resizing of the sleeve and having new pins fabricated for the automotive engines at an automotive machine shop. In case pistons are required to be separated from the connecting rods, it should be done in an automotive machine shop so as to check for bend and twist. Temporary removal of the rod cap to clean the bearing surfaces and check for nicks and scratches besides checking for cracks or damage; old bearings have to be replaced and the caps secured only by hand if rebuilding due to connecting rod knock then conclusively new rods have to be used.