1998 DODGE RAM 1500 oil

INSTALLATION
(1) Lubricate the crankshaft flange with engine oil.
(2) Position the magnetic seal guide Special Tool
8349-2 (Fig. 68) onto the crankshaft rear face. Then
position the crankshaft rear oil seal onto the guide.
(3) Using Special Tools 8349 Crankshaft Rear Oil
Seal Installer and C-4171 Driver Handle (Fig. 69),
with a hammer, tap the seal into place. Continue to
tap on the driver handle until the seal installer seats
against the cylinder block crankshaft bore.
(4) Install the flexplate.
(5) Install the transmission.
FLEX PLATE
REMOVAL
(1) Remove the transmission.
(2) Remove the bolts and flexplate.
INSTALLATION
(1) Position the flexplate onto the crankshaft and
install the bolts hand tight.
(2) Tighten the flexplate retaining bolts to 60 N´m
(45 ft. lbs.) in the sequence shown (Fig. 70).
(3) Install the transmission.
Fig. 68 Crankshaft Rear Oil Seal Guide Special Tool
8349-2 and Oil
1 - REAR CRANKSHAFT SEAL
2 - SPECIAL TOOL 8349-2 GUIDE
Fig. 69 Crankshaft Rear Oil Seal Installation
1 - REAR CRANKSHAFT SEAL
2 - SPECIAL TOOL 8349-1 INSTALLER
3 - SPECIAL TOOL C-4171 HANDLE
Fig. 70 Flexplate Tightening Sequence
1 - FLEXPLATE
9 - 138 ENGINE - 4.7LDR
CRANKSHAFT OIL SEAL - REAR (Continued)

PISTON & CONNECTING ROD
DESCRIPTION
CAUTION: Do not use a metal stamp to mark con-
necting rods as damage may result, instead use ink
or a scratch awl.
The pistons are made of a high strength aluminum
alloy. The anodized top ring groove and crown has
been replaced with a coated top ring that is blue in
color on the bottom surface. Piston skirts are coated
with a solid lubricant (Molykote) to reduce friction
and provide scuff resistance. The connecting rods are
made of forged powdered metal, with a ªfractured
capº design. A pressed fit piston pin is used to attach
the piston and connecting rod.
STANDARD PROCEDURE - PISTON FITTING
(1) To correctly select the proper size piston, a cyl-
inder bore gauge, capable of reading in 0.003 mm (
.0001 in.) INCREMENTS is required. If a bore gauge
is not available, do not use an inside micrometer.
(2) Measure the inside diameter of the cylinder
bore at a point 38.0 mm (1.5 inches) below top of
bore. Start perpendicular (across or at 90 degrees) to
the axis of the crankshaft at point A and then take
an additional bore reading 90 degrees to that at point
B (Fig. 72).
(3) The coated pistons will be serviced with the
piston pin and connecting rod pre-assembled.
(4) The coating material is applied to the piston
after the final piston machining process. Measuring
the outside diameter of a coated piston will not pro-
vide accurate results (Fig. 71). Therefore measuring
the inside diameter of the cylinder bore with a dial
Bore Gauge isMANDATORY. To correctly select the
proper size piston, a cylinder bore gauge capable of
reading in 0.003 mm (.0001 in.) increments is
required.
(5) Piston installation into the cylinder bore
requires slightly more pressure than that required
for non-coated pistons. The bonded coating on the
piston will give the appearance of a line-to-line fit
with the cylinder bore.
REMOVAL
(1) Disconnect negative cable from battery.
(2) Remove the following components:
²Oil pan and gasket/windage tray (Refer to 9 -
ENGINE/LUBRICATION/OIL PAN - REMOVAL).
²Cylinder head covers (Refer to 9 - ENGINE/
CYLINDER HEAD/CYLINDER HEAD COVER(S) -
REMOVAL) and (Refer to 9 - ENGINE/CYLINDER
HEAD/CYLINDER HEAD COVER(S) - REMOVAL).²Timing chain cover (Refer to 9 - ENGINE/
VALVE TIMING/TIMING BELT / CHAIN COVER(S)
- REMOVAL).
²Cylinder head(s) (Refer to 9 - ENGINE/CYLIN-
DER HEAD - REMOVAL) and (Refer to 9 - ENGINE/
CYLINDER HEAD - REMOVAL).
(3) If necessary, remove top ridge of cylinder bores
with a reliable ridge reamer before removing pistons
from cylinder block.Be sure to keep tops of pis-
Fig. 71 DO NOT MEASURE MOLY COATED PISTON
1 - MOLY COATED
2 - MOLY COATED
Fig. 72 BORE GAUGE - TYPICAL
1 - FRONT
2 - BORE GAUGE
3 - CYLINDER BORE
4 - 38 MM (1.5 in)
DRENGINE - 4.7L 9 - 139

tons covered during this operation.Pistons and
connecting rods must be removed from top of cylinder
block. When removing piston and connecting rod
assemblies from the engine, rotate crankshaft so the
each connecting rod is centered in cylinder bore.
CAUTION: DO NOT use a number stamp or a punch
to mark connecting rods or caps, as damage to
connecting rods could occur
NOTE: Connecting rods and bearing caps are not
interchangeable and should be marked before
removing to ensure correct reassembly.
(4) Mark connecting rod and bearing cap positions
using a permanent ink marker or scribe tool (Fig.
73).
CAUTION: Care must be taken not to damage the
fractured rod and cap joint face surfaces, as engine
damage may occur.
(5) Remove connecting rod cap. Install Special Tool
8507 Connecting Rod Guides into the connecting rod
being removed. Remove piston from cylinder bore.
Repeat this procedure for each piston being removed.
CAUTION: Care must be taken not to nick crank-
shaft journals, as engine damage may occur
(6) Immediately after piston and connecting rod
removal, install bearing cap on the mating connect-
ing rod to prevent damage to the fractured cap and
rod surfaces.
(7) Carefully remove piston rings from piston(s),
starting from the top ring down.CLEANING
CAUTION: DO NOT use a wire wheel or other abra-
sive cleaning devise to clean the pistons or con-
necting rods. The pistons have a Moly coating, this
coating must not be damaged.
(1) Using a suitable cleaning solvent clean the pis-
tons in warm water and towel dry.
(2) Use a wood or plastic scraper to clean the ring
land grooves.
CAUTION: DO NOT remove the piston pin from the
piston and connecting rod assembly.
INSPECTION
Check the connecting rod journal for excessive
wear, taper and scoring (Refer to 9 - ENGINE/EN-
GINE BLOCK/CONNECTING ROD BEARINGS -
STANDARD PROCEDURE).
Check the connecting rod for signs of twist or bend-
ing.
Check the piston for taper and elliptical shape
before it is fitted into the cylinder bore (Refer to 9 -
ENGINE/ENGINE BLOCK/PISTON & CONNECT-
ING ROD - STANDARD PROCEDURE).
Check the piston for scoring, or scraping marks in
the piston skirts. Check the ring lands for cracks
and/or deterioration.
INSTALLATION
(1) Before installing piston and connecting rod
assemblies into the bore, install the piston rings.
(2) Immerse the piston head and rings in clean
engine oil. Position a ring compressor over the piston
and rings. Tighten ring compressor.Ensure posi-
tion of rings do not change during this opera-
tion.
(3) Position bearing onto connecting rod. Ensure
that hole in bearing shell aligns with hole in connect-
ing rod. Lubricate bearing surface with clean engine
oil.
Fig. 73 Identify Connecting Rod to Cylinder
PositionÐTypical
9 - 140 ENGINE - 4.7LDR
PISTON & CONNECTING ROD (Continued)

(4) Install Special Tool 8507 Connecting Rod
Guides into connecting rod bolt threads (Fig. 74).
(5) The pistons are marked on the piston pin bore
surface with an raised ªFº indicating installation
position. This mark must be pointing toward the
front of engine on both cylinder banks. The connect-
ing rod oil slinger slot faces the front of the engine
(Fig. 75).
(6) Wipe cylinder bore clean and lubricate with
engine oil.
(7) Rotate crankshaft until connecting rod journal
is on the center of cylinder bore. Insert rod and pis-
ton into cylinder bore and carefully position connect-
ing rod guides over crankshaft journal.
(8) Tap piston down in cylinder bore using a ham-
mer handle. While at the same time, guide connect-
ing rod into position on rod journal.CAUTION: Connecting Rod Bolts are Torque to
Yield Bolts and Must Not Be Reused. Always
replace the Rod Bolts whenever they are loosened
or removed.
(9) Lubricate rod bolts and bearing surfaces with
engine oil. Install connecting rod cap and bearing.
Tighten bolts to 27 N´m (20 ft. lbs.) plus 90É.
(10) Install the following components:
²Cylinder head(s). (Refer to 9 - ENGINE/CYLIN-
DER HEAD - INSTALLATION).
²Timing chain and cover. (Refer to 9 - ENGINE/
VALVE TIMING/TIMING BELT / CHAIN COVER(S)
- INSTALLATION).
²Cylinder head covers (Refer to 9 - ENGINE/
CYLINDER HEAD/CYLINDER HEAD COVER(S) -
INSTALLATION).
²Oil pan and gasket/windage tray. (Refer to 9 -
ENGINE/LUBRICATION/OIL PAN - INSTALLA-
TION).
(11) Fill crankcase with proper engine oil to cor-
rect level.
(12) Connect negative cable to battery.
Fig. 74 PISTON AND CONNECTING ROD
INSTALLATION
1 - ªFº TOWARD FRONT OF ENGINE
2 - OIL SLINGER SLOT
3 - RING COMPRESSOR
4 - SPECIAL TOOL 8507
Fig. 75 PISTON AND CONNECTING ROD
ORIENTATION
1 - MAJOR THRUST SIDE OF PISTON
2 - OIL SLINGER SLOT
DRENGINE - 4.7L 9 - 141
PISTON & CONNECTING ROD (Continued)

PISTON RINGS
STANDARD PROCEDURE - PISTON RING
FITTING
Before reinstalling used rings or installing new
rings, the ring clearances must be checked.
(1) Wipe the cylinder bore clean.
(2) Insert the ring in the cylinder bore.
NOTE: The ring gap measurement must be made
with the ring positioned at least 12mm (0.50 inch.)
from bottom of cylinder bore.
(3) Using a piston, to ensure that the ring is
squared in the cylinder bore, slide the ring downward
into the cylinder.
(4) Using a feeler gauge check the ring end gap
(Fig. 76). Replace any rings not within specification.
PISTON RING SIDE CLEARANCE
NOTE: Make sure the piston ring grooves are clean
and free of nicks and burrs.
(5) Measure the ring side clearance as shown (Fig.
77) make sure the feeler gauge fits snugly between
the ring land and the ring. Replace any ring not
within specification.
(6) Rotate the ring around the piston, the ring
must rotate in the groove with out binding.
PISTON RING SPECIFICATION CHART
Ring Position Groove
ClearanceMaximum
Clearance
Upper Ring .051-.094 mm 0.11 mm
(0.0020-.0037
in.)(0.004 in.)
Intermediate
Ring0.04-0.08 mm 0.10 mm
(0.0016-0.0031
in.)(0.004 in.)
Oil Control Ring .019-.229 mm .25 mm
(Steel Rails) (.0007-.0090
in.)(0.010 in.)
Ring Position Ring Gap Wear Limit
Upper Ring 0.20-0.36 mm 0.43 mm
(0.0079-0.0142
in.)(0.0017 in.)
Intermediate
Ring0.37-0.63 mm 0.74 mm
(0.0146-0.0249
in.)(0.029 in.)
Oil Control Ring 0.025-0.76 mm 1.55 mm
(Steel Rail) (0.0099- 0.03
in.)(0.061 in.)
Fig. 76 Ring End Gap Measurement - Typical
1 - FEELER GAUGE
Fig. 77 Measuring Piston Ring Side Clearance
1 - FEELER GAUGE
9 - 142 ENGINE - 4.7LDR

(7) The No. 1 and No. 2 piston rings have a differ-
ent cross section. Ensure No. 2 ring is installed with
manufacturers I.D. mark (Dot) facing up, towards top
of the piston.
NOTE: Piston rings are installed in the following
order:
²Oil ring expander.
²Upper oil ring side rail.
²Lower oil ring side rail.
²No. 2 Intermediate piston ring.
²No. 1 Upper piston ring.
(8) Install the oil ring expander.
(9) Install upper side rail (Fig. 78) by placing one
end between the piston ring groove and the expander
ring. Hold end firmly and press down the portion to
be installed until side rail is in position. Repeat this
step for the lower side rail.
(10) Install No. 2 intermediate piston ring using a
piston ring installer (Fig. 79).
(11) Install No. 1 upper piston ring using a piston
ring installer (Fig. 79).
(12) Position piston ring end gaps as shown in
(Fig. 80). It is important that expander ring gap is at
least 45É from the side rail gaps, but not on the pis-
ton pin center or on the thrust direction.
Fig. 78 Side Rail - Installation
1 - SIDE RAIL END
Fig. 79 Upper and Intermediate Rings - Installation
Fig. 80 Piston Ring End Gap Position
1 - SIDE RAIL UPPER
2 - NO. 1 RING GAP
3 - PISTON PIN
4 - SIDE RAIL LOWER
5 - NO. 2 RING GAP AND SPACER EXPANDER GAP
DRENGINE - 4.7L 9 - 143
PISTON RINGS (Continued)

CAUTION: The structural cover must be held tightly
against both the engine and the transmission bell
housing during tightening sequence. Failure to do
so may cause damage to the cover.
(4) Starting with the two rear cover-to-engine
bolts, tighten bolts (1) (Fig. 86) to 54 N´m (40 ft. lbs.),
then tighten bolts (2) (Fig. 86) and (3) to 54 N´m ( 40
ft. lbs.) in the sequence shown.
(5) Install the exhaust pipe on left hand exhaust
manifold.
(6) Tighten exhaust manifold-to-exhaust pipe
retaining bolts to 20±26 N´m (15±20 ft. lbs.).
FRONT MOUNT
REMOVAL
2WD
(1) Disconnect the negative cable from the battery.
CAUTION: Remove the viscous fan before raising
engine. Failure to do so may cause damage to the
fan blade, fan clutch and fan shroud.(2) Remove the viscous fan (Refer to 7 - COOL-
ING/ENGINE/FAN DRIVE VISCOUS CLUTCH -
REMOVAL).
(3) Raise the vehicle.
(4) Remove the engine oil filter.
(5) Remove the oil drain trough.
(6) Support the engine with a suitable jack and a
block of wood across the full width of the engine oil
pan.
(7) Support the front axle with a suitable jack.
(8) Remove the (4) bolts that attach the engine
mounts to the front axle.
(9) Remove the (3) bolts that attach the front axle
to the left engine bracket.
(10) Lower the front axle.
(11) Remove the through bolts
(12) Raise the engine far enough to be able to
remove the left and right engine mounts.
(13) Remove the (8) mount to engine attaching
bolts
(14) Remove the engine mounts.
4WD
(1) Disconnect the negative cable from the battery.
(2) Remove the viscous fan.
(3) Raise the vehicle.
(4) Remove the skid plate.
(5) Remove the front crossmember.
(6) Remove the engine oil filter.
(7) Remove the oil drain trough.
(8) Support the engine with a suitable jack and a
block of wood across the full width of the engine oil
pan.
(9) Support the front axle with a suitable jack.
(10) Remove the (4) bolts that attach the engine
mounts to the front axle (Fig. 87).
(11) Remove the (3) bolts that attach the front axle
to the left engine bracket.
(12) Lower the front axle.
(13) Remove the (6) through bolts
Fig. 86 Structural Cover
1 - BOLT
2 - BOLT
3 - BOLT
9 - 146 ENGINE - 4.7LDR
STRUCTURAL COVER (Continued)

(14) Raise the engine far enough to be able to
remove the left (Fig. 89) and right (Fig. 88) engine
mounts.
(15) Remove the engine mounts.
INSTALLATION
2WD
NOTE: For mount to engine block and left engine
bracket to front axle bolts, apply MoparTLock and
Seal Adhesive, Medium Strength Threadlocker.
(1) Install the right and left side engine mounts to
the engine block with (8) bolts. Torque bolts to 54
N´m (40 ft. lbs.).
(2) Insert the (2) through bolts into the right and
left side engine mounts and loose assemble the two
nuts onto the through bolts.
(3) Lower the engine until the through bolts rest
onto the slots in the frame brackets.
(4) Tighten the through bolt nuts to 94 N´m (70 ft.
lbs.).
(5) Install the oil drain trough.
(6) Install the engine oil filter.
Fig. 87 ENGINE INSULATOR MOUNTS 4X4
1 - RH INSULATOR TO AXLE BOLT
2 - NUT
3 - PINION SUPPORT MOUNT
4 - LH INSULATOR MOUNT5 - LH INSULATOR TO AXLE BOLT
6 - FRONT AXLE
7 - NUT
8 - RH INSULATOR MOUNT
Fig. 88 ENGINE MOUNT SUPPORT BRACKET RH
1 - BOLT
2 - ENGINE MOUNT SUPPORT BRACKET
DRENGINE - 4.7L 9 - 147
FRONT MOUNT (Continued)