Suzuki outboard motors 1988 2003 repair manual., Page 253Get this manual
POWERHEAD 7-41 against the ring land and the cylinder wallAs long as the oil mix is correct and temperatures remain where they should, the rings will provide service for many hours of operationgroove and using feeler gauge, measure between the ring and the piston ring landCompare this measurement against the specificationsIf the measurement is too small, the ring groove may be compressedInspect the ring groove and ring land conditionIf it is too large the ring may not correct for the powerheadINSPECTION
See Figures 48, 49, 50, 51 and 52
One of the first indications of ring trouble is the loss of compression and performanceWhen compression has been lost or lowered because of the ring not sealing, the ring is either broken or stuck with carbon, gum or varnishImproper oil mixing and stale gasoline provide the carbon, gum and varnish which cause the rings to stickLow octane fuel, improperly adjusted timinglsynchronization and lean fuel mixtures can damage the ring land, causing the ring to stick or breakGENERAL INFORMATION
The connecting rod transfers the combustion pressure from the piston pin to the crankshaft, changing the vertical motion into rotary motionIn doing so, the connecting rod swings back and forth on the piston pin like pendulum while it is traveling up and downIt goes down by combustion pressure and goes up by flywheel momentum andlor other power strokes on multi-cylinder powerheadThe connecting rod can be of aluminum on smaller horsepower fishing outboards or of steel on larger horsepower modelsMost connecting rod designs use steel liner with needle bearings in the large end and pressed-in needle bearing in the small endThe steel rod is bearing race at both the large and small ends of the rodIt is hardened to withstand the rolling pressures applied from the loose or caged needle bearingsUnlike many connecting rod designs, these rods do not use two piece capsThe connecting rod big end is one pieceThis requires the crankshaft to be pressed together to form rotating assembly with the connecting rodsThe connecting rods are mist lubricatedSome of the rods have trough design in the shank areaOil holes may be drilled into the bearing area at both ends of this troughOil mist that falls out of the fuel will settle into the rod trough and collectAs the rod moves in and out, the oil is sloshed backand