OEM 2004 Dodge Ram 1500 Piston

2004 Dodge Ram 1500 Piston Parts and Q&A

• Q: How to Safely Remove and Replace a Piston in an Engine on 2004 Dodge Ram 1500?

  A: Take out any negatively charged power from the car by unhooking the cable from the battery before you begin. After that, take out the oil pan and gasket/windage tray, the cylinder head covers, timing chain cover and cylinder head(s). Should it be required, remove the top ridge of the cylinder bores using a dependable ridge reamer to cover the tops of the pistons. Turn the crankshaft until each connecting rod is centered in its bore before taking off the connecting rod and piston assemblies at the top of the cylinder block. Put marks on the areas where the connecting rods and bearing caps are set, using an ink marker or scribe, not ruining the joint faces. After removing the cap on the connecting rod, install Special Tool 8507 Connecting Rod Guides inside the connecting rod you are handling; afterwards, remove each piston from its cylinder bore and do this for every cylinder. When the crankshaft is removed, right away affix the bearing cap onto the connecting rod to avoid damaging it. Care for the pistons by putting them in a solvent, rinsing with warm water and towel drying before scraping the ring area grooves with a proper wooden or plastic tool without pulling out the piston pin. Look for wear, tapering or scoring in the rod journal, look for signs of bend or twist in the connecting rod, observe the piston for any signs of an elliptical shape, scoring, marks in the skirts, cracks or weakening and make sure there are no breaks in the ring lands. When installing the piston, first add the piston rings, oil the piston head and rings with clean engine oil, cover them with a ring compressor and gently tighten to secure the rings in position. Place the hole in the bearing shell over the hole in the connecting rod, grease the bearing area with engine oil and install Special Tool 8507 Connecting Rod Guides into the connecting rod threads. Check that the raised "F" mark on the piston pin goes toward the front of the engine and that the connecting rod oil slinger slot faces forward. Put a little engine oil in the cylinder bore and make sure the connecting rod journal is at the center of the bore. After that, carefully insert the rod and piston so the rod goes in the journal correctly. Push the turning piston down with a hammer handle as you move the whole assembly. Put in the replacement bolts, grease them and the bearing point with engine oil, place the connecting rod cap and bearing and tighten the bolts to 27 Nm (20 ft. lbs.) plus 90°. Be sure to install the cylinder head(s), timing chain and cover and cylinder head covers, bolt the oil pan and gasket/windage tray in place, fill the crankcase with the prescribed engine oil and attach the negative cable to the battery.