2. Remove the #1 connecting rod cap (refer to the marks made upon removal). Remove the old bearing shells and wipe the connecting rod bearing and cap surfaces with a clean, lint-free cloth. They must be immaculately clean.
Checking the lubrication gaps of the connecting rod bearings
1. Clean the back of the new upper bearing shell, then install it on the connecting rod. Make sure the protrusion of the bearing shell lines up with the groove in the connecting rod. Do not hammer the bearing shell into place with a hammer and be very careful not to leave scratches or nicks on the surface. Again, make sure that the protrusion of the liner is aligned with the recess in the cover, and do not apply any lubricant. It is essential that the mating surfaces of the bearing and connecting rod are immaculately clean and oil-free during this test.
2. Set the piston ring gaps at 120°to each other.
3. Put on each bolt of a cover of a rod a piece of a plastic or rubber tube.
4. Lubricate the piston and rings with clean engine oil and install the compressor on the piston. Leave the piston skirt protruding 6 or 7 mm to insert the piston into the cylinder. The rings should be compressed until they are flush with the piston.
5. Rotate the crankshaft until the #1 connecting rod bearing journal is at BDC (bottom dead center). Apply a coat of engine oil to the cylinder walls.
6. Carefully insert the piston/connecting rod assembly into cylinder #1, aligning the mark or notch on the piston crown towards the front of the engine, and rest the lower edge of the compressor against the cylinder block.
7. Tap the top edge of the ring compressor to make sure it is in full circumference contact with the block.
8. Lightly strike the piston crown with the wooden handle of the hammer, while directing the end of the connecting rod to the crankshaft journal. Working slowly, if resistance is felt when the piston moves through the cylinders, stop pressing immediately. Find what's stopping you and fix the cause. Do not use force under any circumstances - the ring and/or piston may be broken.
Piston rings may pop out of the compressor just before entering the cylinder, so apply pressure to the compressor.
9. Once the piston/connecting rod assemblies are installed, the bearing lubrication clearance should be checked before final tightening of the connecting rod cap bolts.
10. Cut a piece of plastic wire of the appropriate size, slightly less than the width of the connecting rod bearing, and lay it on the neck of the connecting rod No. 1, parallel to the axis of the crankshaft.
11. Clean the bearing surface of the connecting rod cap, remove the protective tubes from the connecting rod bolts, and install the connecting rod cap. Make sure the mark on the cap matches the mark on the connecting rod.
12. Install nuts, bolts and tighten to the torque specified in Table of sizes and adjustment data at the end of the Guide. On M10 and M30 engines, reach the final force in three steps.
To avoid errors in torque measurement, use a thin-walled socket that will not get stuck between the connecting rod cap and nut. If the head is wedged between the nut and the cover, lift the head slightly so that it does not touch the cover. Do not turn the crankshaft during this operation.
13. Turn away a nut and remove a rod cover, being careful not to move a plastic wire.
14. Compare the flattened wire width with the scale printed on the wire package. Compare value with requirements Tables of sizes and adjustment data at the end of the manual to make sure the clearance is correct.
15. If the clearance differs from the required, then the bearing shells may be the wrong size (which means you need to buy new inserts). Before deciding on the need to purchase other liners, make sure that there is no dirt or oil when measuring the gap between the liners and connecting rods or caps. Also re-measure the diameter of the neck. If the wire width was not the same, then the neck may have a taper (see Section Checking the condition of the crankshaft).
Final installation of connecting rods
1. Carefully remove all traces of wire material from the journal and/or bearing surface. Be careful not to scratch the bearing surface with your fingernail or the edge of a credit card.
2. Make sure the bearing surfaces are immaculately clean, then apply an even coat of molybdenum disulphide grease or engine oil to both surfaces. To access the connecting rod bearing shell surface, it will be necessary to push the piston into the cylinder - first make sure that the connecting rod bolts, if used, are protected by protective tubes.
3. Slide the connecting rod back into place on the neck and remove the protective tubes from the connecting rod cap bolts. Install the connecting rod caps and tighten the nuts/bolts to specification.
4. Repeat the same procedure for the remaining pistons / connecting rods.
5. Important circumstances are the following:
- When assembling, keep the outer surfaces of the liners and the inner surfaces of the connecting rods and caps immaculately clean.
- Make sure the correct piston/rod assemblies are installed in each cylinder.
- The notch or mark on the piston must face the front end of the engine.
- Lubricate the cylinder walls with clean oil.
- When installing the connecting rod caps, lubricate the bearing surfaces after checking the lubrication gap.
6. After all piston/rod assemblies are correctly installed, to check for obvious sticking by hand, rotate the crankshaft several times.
7. Check the side play of the connecting rods (see Section Removing the crankshaft).
8. Compare the measured backlash with the requirements Tables of sizes and adjustment data at the end of the manual to make sure it is correct. If the side play before disassembly was correct and the original crankshaft and connecting rods were installed, then it should remain. If a new crankshaft or new connecting rods have been installed, the backlash may not be correct. If so, then the connecting rods should be removed and sent for inspection to a mechanical workshop.