Pistons and connecting rods — separation (Renault Espace I)

1. Separating the piston and connecting rod is not particularly difficult. If the piston pin is held in place by a retaining ring (diesel engine and V6 engine), it can be removed by preheating the piston and connecting rod. To knock out the piston pin, use a suitable punch. The connecting rod will be separated as soon as the pin is free.

2. Piston pins of petrol 4-cylinder engines are pressed into the upper head of the connecting rod. To separate the piston from the connecting rod, you need to have special tools. If you do not have them, contact a repair shop. You can also replace the pistons there. You also need an electric stove to heat the upper head of the connecting rod (but not the whole connecting rod) up to a temperature of 250°C. The finger is released at this temperature. Perform the following work:

3. Remove the pistons and connecting rods from the sleeves. Check again for marks.

4. Remove the piston rings using a special ring installation tool (see illustration). If the rings are to be used again, they must be marked accordingly. If you do not have a special tool for installing piston rings, you can insert metal plates from opposite sides of the piston under the ring. To avoid scratches, place the plate exactly under the chamfer of the ring.





5. For further disassembly you will need a special tool Mot. 574. Install the piston on a special device and press out the pin with a pneumatic punch (see illustration). The "V" mark on the bottom helps in precise piston centering. If there is no special device, you can use a similar V-shaped device and press out the pin with a punch of the appropriate diameter.