Will a spring loaded, stone type hone take off more material than a ball bottle brush type hone? I have to hone a couple engines including a gx390 and a 6.2l diesel, and want to take off the least material required for honing to enable the rings to sit properly. So, which would be better for my needs?
cylinder hone question.
- Thread starter detroitdiesel
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- Tags cylinder hone question.
i like the stone type because the flat stones seem like they would keep it more straight and true . It depends how much you have to take off to get the bore smooth reguardless of the type you use. If they are smooth and you just want to get the crosshatching in place i dont think it matters they probrobly take off about the same since their made of the same material
yes detroitdiesel just enough to break the glaze. if you don't have any honing oil? just use a good tranny oil. it will only take about 5-8 seconds of honing to break the glaze. clean cylinder real good and then oil the cylinder with straight 30w or 5w-30,or what every you are running in the engine for oil will work and then install new rings and oil the hell out of them too. when you first start the engine up and let it run for 20mins or so and then drain oil and refill. take a spot light and shine it into the oil that you just drain from breaking it in. give it little stir. you will be surprise how much metal flake you will see floating around in the oil:doah:
The average spring-loaded three-stone "flex" hone has adjustable pressure. Oiling the bore affects the "quality" of cut, but has more to do with keeping the stones from loading up and wearing than anything.
Like I said, adjustable pressure....which a ball/bottle brush hone doesn't have.
If the stone is revealing an irregular surface, then the cylinder isn't straight anyway. A ball hone will follow and hide irregularities even worse than a 3-stone.
That's exactly the problem; using a hone to bring a cylinder oversize is the wrong way to do it. Also, if you loaded up a stone hone, you were doing something wrong regardless of the bore being aluminum or iron.....but especially if it was iron.
Like I said, adjustable pressure....which a ball/bottle brush hone doesn't have.
If the stone is revealing an irregular surface, then the cylinder isn't straight anyway. A ball hone will follow and hide irregularities even worse than a 3-stone.
That's exactly the problem; using a hone to bring a cylinder oversize is the wrong way to do it. Also, if you loaded up a stone hone, you were doing something wrong regardless of the bore being aluminum or iron.....but especially if it was iron.
This debate could probably go on for a long time, but if your honing a used block that hasn't been freshly bored, all you really want is a nice lite cross hatch pattern to seat the rings. Oil the cylinder, poke the hone in there, and set the pressure so the drill motor loads down a little bit, then make a few quick in and out strokes, pull the hone out and inspect it. Like I said a nice lite cross hatch pattern is all you need. If it's not even all the way down the bore, you may have to use a ball hone, or have the block bored. Have you measured the block for taper?
I will add that it's important to keep the hone spinning when it is removed. If it is stopped and then pulled out, it will leave vertical scratches in the cylinder, which is bad.
Also keep it lubricated. Everyone seems to have their favorite honing oil type or concoction, but regular old ATF seems to work well.
Regarding pressure, I suppose it's really down to feel and experience. Normal iron rings usually seat fairly fast and don't need an aggressive hone, but tougher rings like the moly variety tend to need a more abrasive cylinder. Unfortunately there isn't really any way for the home mechanic to measure the surface finish or actual pressure on the hone, so there again, feel and experience.
Also keep it lubricated. Everyone seems to have their favorite honing oil type or concoction, but regular old ATF seems to work well.
Regarding pressure, I suppose it's really down to feel and experience. Normal iron rings usually seat fairly fast and don't need an aggressive hone, but tougher rings like the moly variety tend to need a more abrasive cylinder. Unfortunately there isn't really any way for the home mechanic to measure the surface finish or actual pressure on the hone, so there again, feel and experience.
lol.. yea I know... :wink: I'm just messing with you. :lol: You can have anything you want for an Avatard... we DO still have a Consitution and they'll have to come through me to change that I'm here to tell ya.. :gunsmilie: Yeah... That's a pretty hilarious one too huh? Ever watch the show? It's a goodin... :lol:
Some of you might think that I'm pulling your leg, but a builder of top fuel motorcycle engines, told me to put my DRY piston and rings, into a DRY cylinder. He said that the rings seat rapidly. Believe it, or not, I've been following that advice since 1986, and everything comes apart at the end of the year, gorgeous. Has anyone tried this? I wonder how that would work on these small engines. I've never tried it. Scott.