Ford 3L3Z-6108-CC Piston

Before, the piston and connecting rod assemblies can be removed, the cylinder head(s), oil pan and oil pump on 5.4L engines have to be taken off depending on the type of engines being overhauled. A few of those models may include a sheet metal oil baffle plate secured with nuts to the main cap studs that must be removed. Push with the edge of a fingernail along a line 1 / 4 inch below the top of each cylinder where there should be a ring ridge; if the latter is worn or clogged with carbon, it must be machined out with a reamer before trying to extract the piston and its associated connecting rod as the former may break. After that, after the removal of the ridges, flip the engine over with the crankshaft horizontal. When the connecting rods are ready to be removed, check the end play with dial indicator or feeler gauges; the end play should not be over the service limit; if it is so, it means that a new set of connecting rods may be required. Tag the connecting rods and caps, turn the cap bolts with progressively lesser strength until they can be hand-turned. Both the connecting rod cap and the bearing insert must be taken off, but the latter part should be done carefully, as it is easy to lose it. The V6 and VS engines incorporate a fractured cap process in that the rod cap is matched to the connecting rod so that one cap will not fit another. As it is difficult to avoid scratches on the rod journals when disassembling or assembling, two of the rod cap bolts are to be machined to act as sleeves for the journals to reduce chances of scratching. New torque to yield design bolts will be used during the assembly request while the old ones should be disposed. Force the connecting rod/piston assembly through the top of the engine with a wooden or plastic hammer handle, if there is still some resistance, be sure to knock off all the ridges. Perform the same for the other cylinders as well Continue on this process until all the cylinders have been tested. After removal, reinsert the connecting rod caps and bearing inserts into its corresponding connecting rods ensuring that the cap nuts are only tightened by hand in order not to mar the bearing interfaces. It is for this reason that one has not to disconnect the pistons from the connecting rods.

The connecting rod bolts on all engines are 'torque-to-yield' bolts and therefore once tightened and loosened they have to be replaced with new ones. It is important to note that the cylinder walls should be wiped clean before the piston/connecting rod assemblies are put in position, that top edge of each cylinder is chamfered and that the crankshaft should ideally be fitted at this stage. Take off the cap from number one connecting rod and clean the bearing surface and the surface should be clean. Clean the back side of the new upper bearing insert and put it in its position so that the tab is inserted in the recess in the rod. Perform this for the rod cap but without applying any lubricant. As correctly align the gap of the piston ring, apply oil on the piston and the ring before finalizing the piston ring compressor. Turn the crankshaft to the bottom dead centre and lubricate the cylinder walls with engine oil. Place the piston/connecting rod assembly into the cylinder bore with the piston mark of the barrel positioned to face front of engine. Remove the old rod bolts, use them to align and make sure the ring compressor seals the block. Ease the piston into the cylinder, giving the correct alignment to the connecting rod on the crankshaft journal without applying force that may harm the piston or the rings. Plastigage is to be fitted after installation of the connecting rod bearing to measure the oil clearance of the mating surfaces. Fasten the bolts using a counter clockwise procedure to the recommended torque three times before removing the rod cap gently so as not to affect the Plastigage. It is possible to measure the width of the destroyed Plastigage to understand the oil clearance and compare it with the usual parameters. If the clearance is incorrect the first thing that should be looked for is dirt or oil that may be interfering with the journal diameter. Remove any Plastigage material from the bearing surfaces of the small end of the connecting rod, apply a layer of grease or assembly lube to the bearing faces and replace the rod cap with new bolts as well as tighten them to the recommended torque setting. The same process is repeated on the other pistons/connecting rods to be ensured that they are clean and properly aligned during assembly. Once all the assemblies have been installed, try to rotate the crankshaft and look out for binding, finally check the connecting rod end play against the relevant specifications to see if it is correct. If new rods or a crankshaft were installed new end play must be achieved at an automotive machine shop if the above-stated end play is inadequate.

Rotate the crankshaft several times by hand to check for any obvious binding and check the connecting rod endplay. If new rods or a new crankshaft were installed, the endplay may need to be adjusted.