Removing and installing piston: VW Passat CC 3.6 (BLV, BWS, CDVA, CNNA)

🧭 Before you start

With the cylinder head and sump removed, unscrew the conrod bearing caps and push each piston out upwards. Pull out the dowel sleeve, then insert the piston into funnel T10333 with the short side projecting about 15 mm, the deep valve pockets facing the middle of the block and the arrows towards the vibration damper. Seat the tool with its higher side to the middle and push the piston fully into the bore. Refit the dowel sleeve and reassemble in reverse order.

Fits: VW Passat CC (357, 2008–2012); platform code 1F7

Don't miss

• Deep valve pockets face the middle of the cylinder block on every cylinder.
• Piston arrows point towards the vibration damper.
• Remove the dowel sleeve before fitting the piston, and refit it afterwards.
• Short piston side projects about 15 mm from the funnel; higher side of the tool faces the block centre.
• Keep conrod caps paired with their own rods (general practice).

Written for this job from the workshop steps below · TorqFix editorial.

🔧 Engine codes this applies to

📋 Procedure

1. Remove cylinder head .
2. Remove sump .
3. Unscrew conrod bearing caps and push out piston upwards. [Note: To fit the pistons, the funnel T10333 with inserted piston is positioned on the cylinder block so that the straight edge of the high funnel plate (arrow) points to the middle of the cylinder block.]
4. Pull dowel sleeve (arrow) out of its hole before installing piston.
5. The pistons for cylinders 1, 3 and 5 must be installed so that the deep valve pockets (1) point to the middle of the cylinder block and the arrows (3) to the vibration damper.

6. The pistons for cylinders 2, 4 and 6 must be installed so that the deep valve pockets (2) point to the middle of the cylinder block and the arrows (3) to the vibration damper.
7. Insert piston for relevant cylinder into funnel T10333 from above. Short piston side (arrow) must project approx. 15 mm out of lower edge of funnel.
8. Now place piston with piston fitting tool in respective cylinder bore. The higher side of the piston fitting tool (arrow) must face middle of cylinder block for this.
9. Firmly position piston fitting tool on cylinder block and push piston fully into cylinder bore.
10. Insert dowel sleeve (arrow) in its hole again once piston is installed.
11. Further assembly is basically the reverse of the dismantling sequence.

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