I just bought a bore hone...the kind with 3 stones on the end of 3 prongs. looks liek a sick gynecology device It came with stones that are 220 grit..it that ok? feels kinda rough.

now..to use it I just chuck it in my drill..and pass it through the cylinders pouring oil over it right? For how long per bore? Anything else I should know?

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"American made baby. 100% American iron. The muscle among the masses. My hero. Yep, you can take your ergonomically designed, space age, computer controlled, 4 door, cup holding map lighted split double wishbone split fold down retractable cargo covered moon roof piece of transportation and keep it. For I have felt the thunder. And I know the difference!"
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Depending on the rings you plan to run 220 grit seems too coarse. 400 would be better.

If you're running plasma moly rings, you'll need something a lot finer. A 220 grit will leave a wall finish that tends to chip the moly off the face of the ring and your engine will lose power in a hurry once that happens.

Blow-by will sky-rocket and you'll be scratching your head and cussing at the same time.

The best way is to have a machine shop do the honing with a deck plate bolted to the block.

There use a special honing machine which floods the cylinder walls with honing fluid to wash away any grit and metal that is removed during the process. It also insures that the cylinder remains perfectly round.

Now if you just must use your new hone and don't want to buy or can't find finer stones, you can always wrap the hone's existing stones with a 400/600 grit sandpaper half-sheet which is suitable for metal.

You'll want to end up with a cross-hatch pattern with the honing marks over-lapping at about 60 degree angles. This is really hard (if not impossible) to achieve with a hand held hone, but the automatic honing machine does it perfectly.

With moly rings, which most everyone runs, you shouldn't be able to grab a fingernail on the wall surface.

When you're done, wash, wash, wash and wash some more to get all the grit off the walls. Finish with Type "F" transmission fluid which has a high detergent content and run clean rags through each hole until the rag comes out perfectly clean.

If you could see the surface of the cylinder wall before honing under a microscope, it would look like the Rocky Mountains. In the honing process what you're basically doing is changing those mountains in to rolling hills. Not much metal is actually being removed.

Jake

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1986 Corvette Coupe, 415 CID, Edelbrock 6073s, ZZ9

[This message has been edited by JakeJr (edited December 01, 2000).]

 

Well I'm just using cast rings..but I thought it felt too rough. It says on the package that you can get 320 grit stones for use with moly rings...didn't think that sounded right either.

 

Mastering the hone is an art. Especially if you want it to be perfect at 60 degrees. I honed my 70 once, and ended up with about 20 degrees. I'll never do that again. That 70 was a old 12hp Kohler in my cub cadet.


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82 camaro--original steering wheel, brake/gas pedals, seats--everything else modified
82camaro

 

Honing by hand is something you have to work at to get good. I like to think I've doone pretty well, but I can't come close to what a machine can do! Anymore, if I'm doin a rebuild I have it bored and honed anyway. I may not on the '70 engine I have right now though.

I just spray the cylinder down with WD-40 and go to town keeping it well lubed, and vary the speed and motion to get a decent cross-hatch.

If you do it your self, good luck!



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Working on:
'84 Z28 LG4 305
Added dual elec fans.
145 MPH IROC Speedo
Building 430 HP 350
using primarily GMPP parts.
Block is in shop!

Awaiting results from all 8 ASE tests.

Starting to look like the Kicker poster child!

 

i'm with JP on the WD-40. i try to have some one spray it the whole time i'm honing to float out all the dirt. i use moly rings and a fine or xfine stone set. i like to use a variable speed drill i can lock the speed at real damn slow so i can get a good cross hatch. if the block is going to the shop for anything i let them do it. the shop here hones as part of the hot tank process and cost.

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-=ICON MOTORSPORTS=-
1st & 3rd

 

Kerosene make a pretty good honing oil if you're not after a micro-finish. Since we WANT a cross-hatch, all we need to do is clean and flush, not lubricate.

WD-40 is basically pertoleum naptha, kerosene, parafin wax, and some heavier oils. Kerosene is a lot cheaper and has no wax to fudge up the stones after you're finished - none of that gummy residue the next time you grab your hone.

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Later,
Vader
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"No matter how hard you try you can't stop us now"
Adobe Acrobat Reader 4.0

 

actually i use what wal mart sells for the house brand wd 40. it's more of a oil based lube and a little cheaper than wd 40.

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-=ICON MOTORSPORTS=-
1st & 3rd

 

I can only suggest that you might want to re-think your ring choice.

Cast rings are inexpensive, but take quite a while to fully seat and don't seal as well or last as long as moly rings.

About the only real drawback to moly rings is that they need a clean environment. The seal almost instantly, have less drag on the walls (which reduces friction and increases HP).

I'll best that most of the guys on the forum who are after power are using top moly, 2nd iron and probably the SS50U 3-piece oil ring package. Speed Pro plasma molys or gapless rings are had to beat.

Ring selection and proper wall finish are one of the keys to good power, not to mention better gas mileage and less emissions.

Just my thoughts.

Jake


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1986 Corvette Coupe, 415 CID, Edelbrock 6073s, ZZ9