Piston Ring Replacement

WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2011 Honda Pilot, 2010 Honda Pilot, and 2009 Honda Pilot. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.

Remove the pistons from the engine block (see CRANKSHAFT AND PISTON REMOVAL ).
Using a ring expander (A), remove the old piston rings (B).

Fig 1: Using Ring Expander To Remove Old Piston Rings
Courtesy of AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR CO., INC.
Clean all the ring grooves thoroughly with a squared-off broken ring, or a ring groove cleaner with a blade to fit the piston grooves. File down the blade, if necessary. The top ring and second ring grooves are 1.2 mm (0.05 in.) wide, and the oil ring groove is 2.8 mm (0.11 in.) wide. Do not use a wire brush to clean the ring grooves, or cut the ring grooves deeper with the cleaning tool.
NOTE: If the piston is to be separated from the connecting rod, do not install new rings yet.
Using a piston, push a new ring (A) into the cylinder bore 15-20 mm (0.6-0.8 in.) from the bottom.

Fig 2: Pushing Ring Into Cylinder Bore From Bottom Using Piston
Courtesy of AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR CO., INC.
Measure the piston ring end-gap (B) with a feeler gauge:
- If the gap is too small, check to see if you have the proper rings for your engine.
- If the gap is too large, recheck the cylinder bore diameter against the wear limits (see step 4 on BLOCK AND PISTON INSPECTION ). If the bore is over the service limit, the engine block must be rebored.
Piston Ring End-Gap

Top ring:

Standard (New): 0.20-0.35 mm (0.0079-0.0138 in)

Service Limit: 0.60 mm (0.0236 in)

Second Ring:

Standard (New): 0.40-0.55 mm (0.0157-0.0217 in)

Service Limit: 0.70 mm (0.0276 in)

Oil Ring:

Standard (New): 0.20-0.70 mm (0.0079-0.0276 in)

Service Limit: 0.80 mm (0.0315 in)
Install the rings as shown. The top ring (A) has a 1D mark and the second ring (B) has a 2X mark. The manufacturing marks (C) must face upward.

Fig 3: Identifying Piston Ring Installation Position
Courtesy of AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR CO., INC.

Piston Ring Dimensions:

Fig 4: Identifying Piston Ring Dimensions
Courtesy of AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR CO., INC.
After installing a new set of rings, measure the ring-to-groove clearance:
Top Ring Clearance

Standard (New): 0.055-0.080 mm (0.0022-0.00315 in)

Service Limit: 0.15 mm (0.0059 in)

Second Ring Clearance

Standard (New): 0.030-0.055 mm (0.00118-0.00217 in)

Service Limit: 0.13 mm (0.0051 in)

Fig 5: Measuring Ring-To-Groove Clearance
Courtesy of AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR CO., INC.
Rotate the rings in their grooves to make sure they do not bind.
Position the ring end gaps as shown below:

Fig 6: Identifying Ring End Gaps
Courtesy of AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR CO., INC.