I just have a couple of questions about honing cylinders for new piston rings. Does breaking the glaze with a glass bead hone allow proper seating for rings? How well does a glass bead hone really hone? How much easier will steel/iron rings take to this easier than moly or chrome moly rings in the break in proceedure?

I'm mainly just asking to ask because I'm curious and don't know that much about the piston/cylinder relationship and have been reading about it here the past day or so. If anyone has links or anything or just want to put their knowledge down that would be great.

 

I personally prefer a 3 stone hone and a steel plate mounted like a head so the top of the bore won't get champfered(sp). Then with the proper cross hatch pattern(I don't remember the degree, I do it by feel) any ring will seat following a proper break-in!
Mark

 

Cool, the main reason I ask is that I know a lot of people do it different ways and that there's always a personal preference to doing it. I myself am a basic weekend mechanic and mainly work on basic repairs and lean on my neighbor and friends who are mechanics/machinists to help me with larger projects. I'd like to hear from different people about their experiences (both good and bad) that they've had with honing and seating piston rings.

 

Ive used the three stone hone on my old tractors and a few small blocks, they seem to work ok but they are a far cry from the hone the machine shop can do. You need to measure the bore to deside if its even worth the reringing if its out of spec for the piston its a waste of time. The old cast style rings in the tractors use a courser stone than the moly rings I used in the smallblocks. Ive seen guys use the three stone and finish with the beaded hone. Ive heard a 45 degree angle is what to shoot for but I cant seem to be that consistant with the hand drill. I think the cast rings are more forgiving I dont think the moly rings in the 350 have really seated yet I doubt they will seat as well as the machine shop hone. I was told by my machine shop there is a special hone proceedure they go through for the new rings...I cant remember what they called it though. I think it cost $200 for the machine shop bore and standard hone its really the best way to go if you are doing a rebuild. Platoe honeing is the term I forgot although it dosnt look like its spelled right[8D]

 

Griff> Yeah, I talked to some of the guys down at the local machine shop and have read a couple of places that the moly/chrome moly rings are really and are usually honed with a coarse grit and somewhere between 20 and 40 degrees (depending on the application)... BUT, I've also heard people say that about the 45 degree deal too. Then I heard about using moly rings in older engines is a no-no then I hear that it doesn't matter. It all seems to be personal opinion when it boils down to it. Even heard someone say that they've had moly rings practically set just by putting them in the cylinder after a hone with no real break in. Then I hear someone else say that it's 600 miles, change the oil, another six hundred miles, change the oil and you're good to go. It's just interesting to hear these things to me and see how many ways people have broken in their rings (successful or not).

 

I am glad you brought this up because I really didnt spend alot of time on it before check out this artical (I know there was a question earlier about gapless rings they are saying a 10 percent gain if it is tru that is huge) http://www.aa1car.com/library/2003/eb90329.htm

 

Yeah, if I remember correctly the wording of that was kind of tricky. They claimed 10% but if you read over it and paid attention to their math I think it was something like 3 - 7% which is still pretty good. Atleast if it was the same article I was reading. I like how marketing can find ways to make something sound more than what it is sometimes while still maintaining the "truth".

 

I'm a newbie herebut have been rebuilding engines since '89. I've used "berry brush" hones in many engines over the years with great success. The key is making sure the bore is straight first. If there is too much taper or ovalin the cylinder, might as well haul it off to the machine shop.

And unless you have a new perfect bore right from the machinist, I'd stick with cheap cast rings or you can bet it'll burn oil.