Whats a good and inexpensive way to clean up cylinder walls before installing new piston rings?

 

You need to get a cylinder hone. The kind with all the little ***** is the easiest to use.

 

OK, I found a bunch of threads debating which is better a flex hone or the 3 blade kind. but I went to look at prices and seen the different grit flex hones avalable. which grit should i use to clean up a used engine? the cylinder walls actually look like they are in very good shape just have the ring around the top.

 

they make a fancy tool for that top carbon ring [ridge reamer] but most just whip out the pocket knife........

 

What kind of ring is on the top? Carbon or a wear ring?
Im not sure on the grit. Hopefully someone knows.

 

It's carbon ring. I hope someone knows. I work in a shop and nobody out here can tell me either.

 

4" flex hones worked the best quick and easy nice crosshatching,the grit can be anything from 120-320, I use a 120 grit for deglazing an un bored cylinder dont go nuts your just deglazing.About 30 seconds up and down nice and easy dont stay at one spot in cylinder and go to deep so the hone comes out the bottm

 

done told ya once, its called a ridge reamer but most everyone just uses a pocket knife to pick it off, its just carbon build up and will return with time.

 

The ridge that the ridge reamer is used to remove is not carbon. Its a ridge of cast iron at the upper limit of ring travel. The ridge develops because the cylinder bore below is worn by the rings. The severity of this ridge is a gauge in determining whether or not to have cylinders bored. We use a ridge reamer when the ridge is so severe that the piston will not slide past it for removal. It saves having to drive a piston out with a big hammer and drift punch.

The grit selection of ball hones is infinite but I think 380-420 is generally good for cast rings. Chrome moly rings require a finer surface but you may note that most chrome moly ring sets for street strip use include a cast iron second ring. This is intended to aid in ring seating and cylinder conditioning, negating the need for the finer surface.

 

Alright, thanks guys. thats the info I was needing.