RL V6-3.5L (2007)
Piston Ring: Service and Repair
Piston Ring Replacement
1. Remove the piston from the engine block.
2. Using a ring expander (A), remove the old piston rings (B).
3. 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 (0.05 inch) wide, and the oil ring groove is 2.8 mm (0.11 inch) 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.
4. Using a piston, push a new ring (A) into the cylinder bore 15 - 20 mm (0.6 - 0.8 inch) from the bottom.
5. 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. 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 - 0.014 inch)
Service Limit: 0.60 mm (0.024 inch)
Second Ring:
Standard (New): 0.40 - 0.55 mm (0.016 - 0.022 inch)
Service Limit: 0.70 mm (0.028 inch)
Oil Ring:
Standard (New): 0.20 - 0.70 mm (0.008 - 0.028 inch)
Service Limit: 0.80 mm (0.031 inch)