how big of a job is changing the piston rings?

There is no job which requires more engine dismantling, you're looking at 2 days labour and a bill well into the thousands, forget it on a 15 year old Vauxhall, not worth doing.

As a workshop job it's Oil pan off, cylinder head off, big ends undone as a minimum. Probablt easiest if the engine is out of the car. You're thinking 20 hours work at least for a trained mech

i own a garage ..we would never try to do the job with engine in-situ ..lazy way and far too difficult ..we would not change the rings for anybody ..again not worth it ..the rings may be worn ..but so are the bores ..creating a ridge in bores ..and the pistons will have worn ring grooves ..better for you to buy a recon engine ..do it right ...do it once

What a lot of bull. It depends on how easy it is to get under and over the engine. You will not know if it will just need rings or a rebore until the head is removed.

The sunp has to come off and the head, then the big ends can be removed and the pistons with drawn out through the top of the cylinders. then the bore will have to be honed to remove the glazing. The ring grooves may need re-machining as they are probably worn, then the new rings can be fitted using shims to take up any extra groove space after machining. You need a ring calmp to get the piston back into the bore, posibly new big end bearings. Then rwfit the big ends and torque the bolts. then it is just reassembling everything else This job is probably not done these days as mechanics are only parts replacers now. Good Luck.

Well as many have said its a big job, it can be done at home with the right tools and knowledge but unless you have experience on engine work (by which I mean high level engine repair and dismantling of a engine block) I would not recommend you attempt this job, I would however recommend you find a local garage or someone who has successfully completed this kind engine repair more than once.

The job requires a lot of patients as you have to remove the block disconnecting everything from the simplest earth wire to the inlet and outlet manifolds, then you have to effectively strip most of the block and remove the actual pistons themselves then you have to have piston clamps to remove the old rings and replace them with the new rings, then you have the job of reconstructing the block making sure all the bolts are tightened to the correct torque settings and replacing all the gaskets, and putting the block back into the car reconnecting everything.

With a job like this there is no room for mistakes, you get it right first time or you fail and kill your engine completely.

As I always say if you do not know how to do something there is always someone out there that will do it at a price, so my advice is to get someone to do it for you

Hope this helps

Big enough most garages wont do engine overhauls anymore, as it's cheaper for their customers, faster, and better warranty to just buy a re manufactured engine and have it installed, your old engine will be sent back to the company that does nothing but rebuild engines, and I might add warranty's there work, and be rebuilt and sold to the next customer in line, only a podunk shop would replace just the piston rings.

Basically you have to disassemble the top and the bottom of the engine. You don't necessarily have to remove the engine or the front of the engine. It's just easier.

its a job so big..even chuck norris would say no. but his beard..well his bear says maybe.

Generally speaking, while in car replacement is possible... The project basically amounts to a complete engine rebuild for any vehicle of that age. figure you are going to spend 2-3k $ if you are determined to restore this machine, unless you are capable of performing the bull labor ( R&R and basic cleaning of the engine) which will save you almost half of the cost.

In any case get Estimates!!!

On any major repair I recommend that you get 3 or 4 estimates from local service facilities unless you are lucky enough to have a shop with an absolutely stellar reputation available. Compare the estimates and choose one of the middle estimates. My reasoning for this is the low estimate either left something out or worse is deliberately giving a low ball estimate to get you in and then when your car is all torn apart they find all sorts of critically important things wrong with it which run your bill through the roof. Do the leg work and be an informed car owner. No reliable technician or shop will give an estimate for repair site unseen except as a budgetary estimate which will be a range from the middle average to the unusual high end possible.

What you are asking is called a "Complete Engine Overhaul" Do it right and the engine will last thousands of miles. Do it cheap (and wrong) and it'll last about a half hour.

Complete Engine Overhaul