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3044C (S/N: 3441-UP)
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Introduction
This Reuse and Salvage Guideline contains the necessary information in order to allow a dealer to
establish a parts reusability program. Reuse and salvage information enables Caterpillar Dealers and
customers to benefit from cost reductions. Every effort has been made in order to provide the most
current information that is known to Caterpillar. Continuing improvement and advancement of
product design might have caused changes to your product which are not included in this
publication. This Reuse and Salvage Guideline must be used with the latest technical information
that is available from Caterpillar.
For additional information about this guideline, consult Repair Process Engineering of the Marketing
and Product Support Division at 1 (309) 675-5434.
Summary
The engine reconditioning does not necessarily result in the installation of new pistons as part of the
process of reconditioning. Pistons that meet the specifications in this guideline and other applicable
guidelines can be expected to have the same performance in the same application until the next
overhaul.
Compare the pistons from this guideline with the pistons that are removed from the engine. This
guideline gives specific types of wear. Some pistons cannot be salvaged.
Reference this guideline before reusing a piston. The pistons that are considered unacceptable in this
guideline should not be reused.
Piston failure can be due to poor engine performance. Always correct the true cause of the original
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failure.
Note: Salvaging pistons with extensive damage may not be practical due to labor costs.
References
Reference Refer to Reuse and Salvage Guidelines, SEBF8059-12, "Procedure and Specifications to
Clean and Measure Pistons".
Reference Refer to Reuse and Salvage Guidelines, SEBF8051-05, "Inspection and Measuring
Procedures for Piston Pins".
Refer to the latest version of the Service Manual, NENG2500, "Tools and Shop Products
Guide" for any changes.
Nomenclature
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Illustration 1 g01198372
The piston is from a 3114 engine or the piston is from a 3116 engine.
(1) Crown
(2) Crater
(6) Skirt
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Illustration 2 g01198447
The piston is from a 3114 engine or the piston is from a 3116 engine.
(1) Crown
(2) Crater
(6) Skirt
(9) Land
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Illustration 3 g01198161
The piston is from a 3400 series engine of the direct injection type with a double ring land.
(1) Crown
(2) Crater
(6) Skirt
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Illustration 4 g01198198
The piston is from a 3400 series engine of the direct injection type with a single ring land.
(1) Crown
(2) Crater
(6) Skirt
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Illustration 5 g01198306
The piston is from a 3500 series engine.
(1) Crown
(2) Crater
(6) Skirt
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Illustration 6 g01198322
The piston from a typical precombustion chamber engine
(1) Crown
(4) Crater
(10) Skirt
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Illustration 7 g01198332
One-piece piston with a coating of graphite
Note: The piston and piston pin must be identified and marked with the cylinder number and
orientation in reference to the front of the engine.
Note: Do not mix and match pistons and piston pins from different cylinders. Ensure that the pistons
and piston pins are oriented properly to the front of the engine upon reassembly.
NOTICE
If the pistons and piston pins have been worn together, mixing the
parts can possibly lead to pin rotation issues.
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Illustration 8 g01198333
Nomenclature for ring grooves
(5) Skirt
Illustration 9 g01198336
Nomenclature for ring grooves
(6) Skirt
General Procedures
Follow the instructions in this guideline in order to determine if a piston is reusable.
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{ Cracks
{ Scuffing
{ Holes
(d) Skirt
5. Measure the piston according to the specifications in the Reuse and Salvage Guidelines,
SEBF8059, "Procedure and Specifications to Clean and Measure Pistons".
Initial Inspection
Make a quick visual inspection of the piston before cleaning. If no obvious faults are found, clean
the piston according to the instructions in the Reuse and Salvage Guidelines, SEBF8059,
"Procedures to Clean and Inspect Pistons".
Visual Inspections
Top of Piston
Small cracks around the heat plug are normal. To measure these cracks, use a 34 gauge wire that has
a diameter of 0.15 mm (0.006 inch) as a gauge. A 6V-2196 Microscope and 6V-7894 Microlite can
also be used.
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Illustration 10 g01198512
Small cracks that are less than 0.15 mm (0.006 inch) wide around the heat plug.
Illustration 11 g01198517
The arrows show cracks that are wider than 0.15 mm (0.006 inch).
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Illustration 12 g01198526
If necessary, use a 6V-2196 Microscope and 6V-7894 Microlite to measure the size of the cracks around the heat plug.
Illustration 13 g01198531
View the cracks through the eyepiece of the 6V-2196 Microscope . This crack is wider than 0.15 mm (0.006 inch).
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Illustration 14 g01198535
Large cracks connected to each other.
Illustration 15 g01198540
Crack (A) goes into the valve pocket. Cracks (A) and (B) are wider than 0.15 mm (0.006 inch).
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Illustration 16 g01198569
The crack goes across the area between the valve pockets.
Illustration 17 g01198570
Cracks in the crater that are not wider than 0.15 mm (0.006 inch)
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Illustration 18 g01198573
Crack (A) goes into the valve pocket. Callout (B) shows cracks that are connected to each other. If either type of crack
is found, do not use the piston again.
Do not reuse the piston if the piston shows signs of contact with a valve or contact with valves. See
Illustrations 19, 20, 21 and 22.
Illustration 19 g01198626
The light marks are caused by contact with the valves. Find the cause of the contact with the valve and then inspect the
piston for cracks.
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Illustration 20 g01198629
The light marks are caused by contact with the valves. Correct the cause of the contact.
Illustration 21 g01198632
The heavy marks are caused by contact with the valves. Correct the cause of the contact.
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Illustration 22 g01198635
The light marks are caused by contact with the valves. No material has been embedded into the surface of the piston.
Check for cracks in the ring band area and measure the pin bores before reusing.
Illustration 23 g01198642
Typical example of pitting
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Illustration 24 g01198651
The light pitting on the piston crown and in the area of the valve pockets is acceptable.
The latest designs of direct injection pistons have a sharp edge at the edge of the crater bowl in order
to ensure good engine performance for emissions and fuel economy. Fine cracks can begin at this
sharp edge due to thermal fatigue and mechanical fatigue. Although some fine cracking may be
normal, severe cracks can be a sign of severe engine load factor. The pistons with crater cracks that
are less than 6.00 mm (0.236 inch) long may be reused. The piston can be reused if the cracks are on
the edge of the crater rim of the piston. The cracks in the piston should not be within 30 degrees of
the centerline of the piston pin bore.
Illustration 25 g01198655
Cracks that are less than 6.00 mm (0.236 inch) long are allowed within the shaded area.
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(A) 30 degrees
Illustration 26 g01198667
The cracks are in the crater area of a direct injection piston. Measure the length and angle of the crack in relation to the
pin bore. Use the piston again if the crack is less than 6.00 mm (0.236 inch) wide and the crack is not within 30 degrees
of the pin bore.
Illustration 27 g01198673
The crack in the piston is outside of the allowable area for cracks.
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Illustration 28 g01198681
Remove burrs or raised edges with a file or a small grinder.
Use the piston again after the raised edges are removed and the piston is cleaned and completely
inspected.
Illustration 29 g01198686
Light damage to the edge of the piston crown.
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Use the piston again after the raised areas have been cleaned. Use the piston after the areas have
been completely inspected.
Pistons that have cracks in the area of the valve pockets should not be reused. The material that is
below the valve pocket of the piston should not be removed. Do not remove any sharp edges or any
other material that has been embedded in the piston that can be easily removed by hand.
Illustration 30 g01198701
The damage is to the edge of the piston crown.
Use the piston again after the raised areas are removed and the area of the ring land is checked
carefully.
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Illustration 31 g01198704
The damage is to the edge of the piston crown.
Use the piston again after the raised areas have been removed and the area of the ring land is
checked carefully.
Illustration 32 g01198777
Arrow (A) shows a small chip on the top of the piston. Arrow (B) shows debris on top of the piston.
Use the piston again after the raised edges or debris is removed with a file.
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Illustration 33 g01198780
The small holes (A) are caused by debris. Light pitting (B) in crater.
Illustration 34 g01198781
There is light pitting in the area of the valve pocket.
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Illustration 35 g01198785
Do not reuse any piston that has heavy pitting on the entire crown.
Illustration 36 g01198788
The light amount of erosion that is allowable
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Illustration 37 g01198791
The piston displays the maximum amount of erosion that is allowable. Do not reuse a piston that is displaying the
severity of erosion that is more than the amount that is shown in Illustration 37.
Illustration 38 g01198792
The piston has heavy erosion on the crown. Any piston that is displaying this severity of erosion anywhere on the crown
should not be reused.
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Illustration 39 g01198796
The close up photo of a piston with heavy erosion
Illustration 40 g01198805
The heat plug is loose and uneven with the surface of the crater. If the plug requires tightening, do not reuse the piston.
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Illustration 41 g01198814
The piston crown is showing light pitting.
Illustration 42 g01198821
The piston crown is showing light pitting.
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Illustration 43 g01198965
The piston crown is showing numerous deep pits and distinct pits.
Fuel Erosion
The piston has erosion in the area of the crater that is caused by fuel. The erosion of the piston that is
caused by fuel is only a problem of appearance and the structural integrity of the piston is not
affected. Use the photos that follow to determine if the piston can be reused.
Illustration 44 g01198972
The crater of the piston is showing light erosion that is caused by fuel.
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Illustration 45 g01198977
The crater of the piston is showing light erosion that is caused by fuel.
Illustration 46 g01198982
The crater of the piston is showing numerous areas of erosion that is caused by fuel.
Do not use pistons that have more severe erosion than the piston that is shown.
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Illustration 47 g01198986
The crater of the piston shows deep erosion that is caused by fuel.
Illustration 48 g01198989
The crater of the piston is showing six points of deep erosion that is caused by fuel.
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Illustration 49 g01198990
The crater of the piston is showing multiple points of deep erosion that is caused by fuel.
Illustration 50 g01199009
The piston shows normal carbon scratches. The scratches are common on pistons with offset pin bores.
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Illustration 51 g01199013
Example of light carbon scratches on the piston
Illustration 52 g01199018
The piston is displaying heavy carbon scratches in the top ring land.
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Illustration 53 g01199021
The piston has light carbon scratches in the top ring land.
Use the piston again after the raised areas are removed with a file and the piston is properly cleaned.
Refer to the Reuse and Salvage Guidelines, SEBF8059, "Procedures and Specifications to Clean and
Measure Pistons".
Illustration 54 g01199026
Deep scratches on the piston which have offset pin bores.
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Use the piston again after the raised areas are removed with a file and the piston is properly cleaned.
Refer to the Reuse and Salvage Guidelines, SEBF8059, "Procedures and Specifications to Clean and
Measure Pistons".
Note: If an engine failure has caused a force against the piston, the piston must be visually inspected
for cracks. Refer to Illustrations 55, 63, and 77.
Illustration 55 g01199027
A crack in the top land of the piston
Illustration 56 g01199028
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Use the piston again after the raised areas are removed with a file and the piston is properly cleaned.
Refer to the Reuse and Salvage Guidelines, SEBF8059, "Procedures and Specifications to Clean and
Measure Pistons".
Illustration 57 g01199038
Minor damage to the top land of the piston
Use the piston again after the raised areas are removed with a file and the piston is properly cleaned.
Refer to the Reuse and Salvage Guidelines, SEBF8059, "Procedures and Specifications to Clean and
Measure Pistons".
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Illustration 58 g01199084
The piston is showing separation of the ring band. Check below the ring band and above the ring band. The piston is not
reusable if there is the slightest separation in the ring band.
Illustration 59 g01199093
The piston has had pieces that are broken out of the top land and the ring band.
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Illustration 60 g01199096
A chip in the oil control ring groove
Note: The piston can be reused after a burr or a raised area is made smooth with a file.
Illustration 61 g01199148
Carbon in the ring grooves of the piston
Use the piston after the carbon deposits are removed. Refer to the Reuse and Salvage Guidelines,
SEBF8059, "Procedures and Specifications to Clean and Measure Pistons".
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Illustration 62 g01199152
Damage to the piston groove
Illustration 63 g01199157
The crack is in the ring land of the piston.
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Illustration 64 g01199167
The damage is to the ring land of the piston.
Illustration 65 g01199168
The damage is to the ring land of the piston. The piston is not reusable as the ring lands have been compressed. Filing
the area smooth will not make this piston reusable.
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Illustration 66 g01199171
An example of a piston with normal wear on the skirt. The area that is gray has many small scratches.
Use the piston again after the scratches are removed by cleaning with glass beads. Refer to the Reuse
and Salvage Guidelines, SEBF8059, "Procedures and Specifications to Clean and Measure Pistons".
Illustration 67 g01199282
A piston that has light scratches on the skirt
Use the piston again after the scratches are removed by cleaning with glass beads. Refer to the Reuse
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and Salvage Guidelines, SEBF8059, "Procedures and Specifications to Clean and Measure Pistons".
Illustration 68 g01199285
The piston skirt is from a 3500 series engine that has been cleaned per the guideline the Reuse and Salvage Guidelines,
SEBF8059, "Procedures and Specifications to Clean and Measure Pistons". The piston skirt still has light scratches but
there is no raised material.
Illustration 69 g01199295
The piston is showing evidence of seizure. The piston has more damage that is suggested so the piston should not be
reused.
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Illustration 70 g01199297
The piston shows scuffing just below the bottom ring groove.
Use the piston again after the skirt has been cleaned and inspected. Refer to the Reuse and Salvage
Guidelines, SEBF8059, "Procedures and Specifications to Clean and Measure Pistons".
Illustration 71 g01199299
The piston shows small shiny areas of particles or aluminum bearing material that have been embedded in the skirt.
Do not use the piston again unless the particles can be removed by cleaning with glass beads. Refer
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to the Reuse and Salvage Guidelines, SEBF8059, "Procedures and Specifications to Clean and
Measure Pistons".
Illustration 72 g01199304
The piston shows metal particles in the skirt. The piston has dark particles that are not aluminum so the piston should
not be reused.
Illustration 73 g01199310
The piston is showing the maximum amount of damage to the skirt that is possible. A piston must have no raised
material in order to be reused.
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Illustration 74 g01199315
The piston displays wear due to lack of lubrication for a short period of time.
The piston can be reused if there is no raised material or embedded material in the skirt after being
cleaned.
Illustration 75 g01199316
The piston is showing damage just below the ring groove. The piston has no cracks that are visible.
Use the piston again after the raised material is removed with a file and the piston is clean. Refer to
the Reuse and Salvage Guidelines, SEBF8059, "Procedures and Specifications to Clean and Measure
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Pistons".
Illustration 76 g01199329
A piston that has light damage to the bottom of the skirt
Use the piston again after the raised material is removed with a file and the piston is clean. Refer to
the Reuse and Salvage Guidelines, SEBF8059, "Procedures and Specifications to Clean and Measure
Pistons".
Illustration 77 g01199333
The piston is showing heavy damage to the skirt. A piston with cracks in any area of the skirt make the piston unusable.
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Note: Illustrations 78 and 79 are displaying a crack in the piston skirt of a C15 piston. The piston
skirt that is shown in Illustration 78 and Illustration 79 is the same piston.
Illustration 78 g01243290
The C15 piston is showing damage to the piston skirt. There is a crack near the hole for the pin.
Illustration 79 g01243598
The location of the vertical line is at the transition line of the piston skirt.
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Illustration 80 g01199385
If the cover plates of the cooling gallery are found in a loose condition the piston should not be used
again.
Illustration 81 g01199395
The piston has minor scratches in the graphite coating of the skirt.
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Illustration 82 g01199403
The piston has minor scratches in the coating of graphite on the skirt.
Illustration 83 g01199408
The piston has loss on the coating of graphite on the skirt.
Use the piston again if the loss of coating on the skirt does not exceed half the area of the skirt. The
piston should not be reused if the wear is from hard contact.
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Illustration 84 g01199422
The piston has loss on the coating of graphite on the skirt.
Use the piston again if the loss of coating of graphite does not exceed half the area of the piston skirt.
The piston must also show no signs of wear from hard contact.
Illustration 85 g01199436
The piston has loss on the coating of graphite on the skirt.
The loss on the coating of graphite on the piston exceeds half of the skirt. The piston is also showing
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Illustration 86 g01199491
The piston has loss on the coating of graphite on the skirt.
The loss on the coating of graphite on the piston exceeds half of the skirt.
Illustration 87 g01199571
The piston should not be reused because of scratches that extend into the steel skirt.
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Illustration 88 g01199573
The scratches on the piston that extend into the steel skirt that can be felt should not be used again.
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Illustration 89 g01199576
A piston with light damage to the pin bore and skirt
Use the piston again after the raised material is removed with a file and the piston is clean. Refer to
the Reuse and Salvage Guidelines, SEBF8059, "Procedures and Specifications to Clean and Measure
Pistons".
Illustration 90 g01199578
A piston with damage to the snap ring groove
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Illustration 91 g01199581
The piston has internal damage to the area of the piston pin bore.
Illustration 92 g01199584
The piston has light wear on the edge of the bore, but the measurements of the bore are correct.
Illustration 93 g01199614
The piston has discoloration on the underneath side. Measure the piston pin bores in order to make sure that there is no
distortion.
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Illustration 94 g01199941
The piston has a wear pattern inside the pin bore.
Do not use the piston again if the scratches can be felt with a fingernail.
Illustration 95 g01199944
The piston shows wear and scratches in the pin bore that can be felt with a fingernail.
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Illustration 96 g01199956
There is a track of heavy debris on the piston. The piston pin bore can be used again because the surface of the bore is
smooth.
Illustration 97 g01199959
There is embedded debris in the surface of the piston. The piston has debris that can be felt.
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Illustration 98 g01199964
The piston has visible scratches that cannot be felt. The surface of the piston is smooth.
Illustration 99 g01199969
The piston has visible scratches and a track of debris that cannot be felt. The surface of the piston is smooth.
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Two-Piece Pistons
Nomenclature
(1) Crown
(2) Crater
(6) Skirt
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Reconditioning Procedure
There are several methods for reconditioning minor damage to the piston crown and the piston skirt.
Use the method for cleaning that is least aggressive during the process for reconditioning of the
piston.
A depression results when a part is scratched, nicked, or dented. The scratch, the nick, or the dent
can also result in a area that is raised.
(A) Scratch
The raised areas of the piston can be removed by several methods. The most common methods of
removing raised metal are a file, a polishing wheel, or a Scotch-Brite abrasive disc. The file is the
most aggressive method for removing raised material. The file is generally recommended for small
areas on the surface for material that has been raised more than 0.20 mm (0.008 inch). Use caution to
ensure that only the raised material is removed. Be sure that no indentations are left behind from the
reconditioning procedure.
The polishing wheel and the Scotch-Brite abrasive disc are used to remove small scratches in larger
areas. The piston skirt is made from aluminum. In order to reduce the risk of damage to the piston,
manual buffing is preferred to a polishing wheel to remove scratches and imperfections. Illustration
132 shows an example of a skirt that was buffed with a Scotch-Brite abrasive disc.
Visual Inspection
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Make a basic visual inspection of the piston before cleaning. Check the piston for obvious damage.
Do not use the piston again if obvious damage is visually inspected. Clean the piston and inspect the
piston if no damage is observed.
The piston may be used again if the raised material can be removed with a file or an oilstone.
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Scuffing
Scuffing is not permitted on the piston skirts that are going to be reused. Scuffing is a combination of
scratching and embedded material. Do not reuse skirts that have evidence of scuffing.
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Use the piston again after the scratches have been polished.
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Use the piston again after polishing the skirt to remove the corrosion. There must also be no
corrosion in the piston pin bore or in the groove for the piston snap ring.
Embedded Material
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There must be no embedded material in the piston. Embedded material can appear as dark hard
particles in the surface of the skirt that can scratch the cylinder wall. Embedded material can also
appear as light particles on a dark piston. Do not reuse any piston skirt that has embedded material.
Note: The piston skirt that is shown in Illustration 132 has scratches that can be smoothed through
buffing. The piston skirt has embedded material so the skirt cannot be reused.
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Scratches
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The piston can be used again after the piston is smooth from buffing.
Use the piston again after the piston is smooth from buffing.
Use the piston again after the piston is smooth from buffing.
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Use the piston again if all the raised material is removed by buffing.
Use the piston again if there is no visible raised material or embedded material.
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Use the piston again if there is no visible raised material or embedded material.
Crowns
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The recommendations in this section are based on two-piece piston crowns. To illustrate damage to
pistons, some of the photographs in this section are of one-piece pistons.
The piston can be used again if the raised material can be removed with a file or oilstone.
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Do not use the piston again if the damage to the ring land is by the piston ring that will affect the
shape of the groove.
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Copyright 1993 - 2006 Caterpillar Inc. Mon Jul 17 15:38:02 CDT 2006
Todos los derechos reservados.
Red privada para licenciados del SIS.
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