OEM 2004 Dodge Ram 3500 Piston

2004 Dodge Ram 3500 Piston Parts and Q&A

• Q: How to Remove and Replace a Piston and Connecting Rod on 2004 Dodge Ram 3500?

  A: Take off and change the piston and connecting rod by disconnecting the battery first, then removing the cylinder head, oil pan and suction tube and finally the bolts and stiffener. Please rotate the crankshaft using Miller Tool 7471-B until all pistons have dropped below TDC. Before you pull out the piston, use a dull scraper or wire brush to clear off any carbon buildup on the bore's edge and if there are wear ridges, use a ridge reamer to correct them without disrupting too much metal. If you're using Jet cooling nozzles, take them out, then place the cylinder number stamp on each piston, making sure it's not too close to the center of the piston or the pin. Mark each connecting rod and cap with its cylinder number and when you're ready, take care not to break anything as you unbolt them. Pull the piston and connecting rod over the cylinder bore, push it in with a hammer handle and then put them in a rack. With a suitable vertical mount, clean the pistons and pins in a solvent, rinse them in hot water and dry them with compressed air after they stand for a night. Put a broken piston ring in the grooves and work it till the carbon is loosened, followed by another cleaning. Handle the connecting rods in the same way as well. Check the rings, top, skirt and pin bore of the piston for excessive wear or damage and measure the diameter of the skirt; if it's out of range, switch out the piston. Revise the upper groove for dents and observe if the intermediate ring groove clearance lies between 0.045 mm and 0.095 mm. The oil groove clearance should be observed as well, between 0.040 mm and 0.085 mm and then check that the pin bore is 40.006 mm to 40.012 mm. Look for nicks on the piston pin and check its diameter which should be between 39.990 mm and 40.003 mm. Check for issues on the connecting rod, look for bends in the I-Beam overlapping section and measure the pin hole diameter. Apply clean oil to the cylinder bores and outside of the cylinder walls, use a compressor to press the rings and bar the crankshaft so the rod is at bottom dead center. Ensure the position of the piston follows the stamp, making sure the numbers on the connecting rod point toward the intake side. Lower the piston deep enough so that it sits 50 mm under the upper surface of the block and then gently bring the connecting rod onto the crankshaft journal. Lubricate where the threads meet and also under the heads of the connecting rod bolts. The cap should have its stamped number facing toward the intake side. Screw the rod cap and bolts onto the shaft, leveling the torque first to 30 Nm, then 60 Nm and then turning them 60° clockwise. See that there is no restriction on how the crankshaft turns and measure the space around the connecting rod and crankshaft. If the car is equipped, add the Jet piston cooling nozzles, torque the block stiffener to 43 Nm, follow with installation of the suction tube and oil pan, then mount the cylinder head. Change the air filter, put fresh engine oil in the crankcase, reattach the negative cables to the battery and then turn on the engine.