Mitsubishi Montero (1991+). Manual - part 114

         PISTON & CONNECTING ROD INSTALLATION

         Cylinders must be honed prior to piston installation. See

CYLINDER HONING under CYLINDER BLOCK in this article.

         Install upper connecting rod bearings. Lubricate upper

bearings with engine oil. Install lower bearings in rod caps. Ensure

bearing tabs are properly seated. Position piston ring gaps according

to manufacturers recommendations. See Fig. 16. Lubricate pistons,

rings and cylinder walls.

Fig. 16:  Typical Piston Ring End Gap Positioning - Typical

This Graphic For General Information Only

         Install ring compressor. Use care not to rotate piston rings.

Compress rings with ring compressor. Install plastic tubing protectors

over connecting rod bolts. Install piston and connecting rod assembly.

Ensure piston notch, arrow or "FRONT" mark is toward front of engine.

See Fig. 17.

Fig. 17:  Installing Piston & Connecting Rod Assembly - Typical

This Graphic For General Information Only

         Carefully tap piston into cylinder until rod bearing is

seated on crankshaft journal. Remove protectors. Install rod cap and

bearing. Lightly tighten connecting rod bolts. Repeat procedure for

remaining cylinders. Check bearing clearance. See

MAIN & CONNECTING ROD BEARING CLEARANCE in this article.

         Once clearance is checked, lubricate journals and bearings.

Install bearing caps. Ensure marks are aligned on connecting rod and

cap. Tighten rod nuts or bolts to specification. Ensure rod moves

freely on crankshaft. Check connecting rod side clearance. See

CONNECTING ROD SIDE CLEARANCE in this article.

         CONNECTING ROD SIDE CLEARANCE

         Position connecting rod toward one side of crankshaft as far

as possible. Using feeler gauge, measure clearance between side of

connecting rod and crankshaft. See Fig. 18. Clearance must be within

specifications.

Fig. 18:  Measuring Connecting Rod Side Clearance - Typical

This Graphic For General Information Only

         Check for improper bearing installation, wrong bearing cap

or insufficient bearing clearance if side clearance is insufficient.

Connecting rod may require machining to obtain proper clearance.

Excessive clearance usually indicates excessive wear at crankshaft.

Crankshaft must be repaired or replaced.

         MAIN & CONNECTING ROD BEARING CLEARANCE

         Plastigage Method

         Plastigage method may be used to determine bearing clearance.

Plastigage can be used with an engine in service or during reassembly.

Plastigage material is oil soluble.

         Ensure journals and bearings are free of oil or solvent.

Oil or solvent will dissolve material and false reading will be

obtained. Install small piece of Plastigage along full length of

bearing journal. Install bearing cap in original location. Tighten

bolts to specification.

CAUTION: DO NOT rotate crankshaft while Plastigage is installed.

         Bearing clearance will not be obtained if crankshaft is

         rotated.

         Remove bearing cap. Compare Plastigage width with scale on

Plastigage container to determine bearing clearance. See  Fig. 19.

Rotate crankshaft 90 degrees. Repeat procedure. this is done to check

journal eccentricity. This procedure can be used to check oil

clearance on both connecting rod and main bearings.

Fig. 19:  Measuring Bearing Clearance - Typical

This Graphic For General Information Only

         Micrometer & Telescopic Gauge Method

         A micrometer is used to determine journal diameter, taper and

out-of-round dimensions of the crankshaft. See CLEANING & INSPECTION

under CRANKSHAFT & MAIN BEARINGS in this article.

         With crankshaft removed, install bearings and caps in

original location on cylinder block. Tighten bolts to specification.

On connecting rods, install bearings and caps on connecting rods.

Install proper connecting rod cap on corresponding rod. Ensure bearing

cap is installed in original location. Tighten bolts to specification.

         Using a telescopic gauge and micrometer or inside micrometer

measure inside diameter of connecting rod and main bearings bores.

Subtract each crankshaft journal diameter from the corresponding

inside bore diameter. This is the bearing clearance.