v8-60 - honing questions for the exerienced.

[Daniel f]

Having rebuilt several v8-60's as a hobbiest. I recently purchased a rebuilt v8-60 from a machine shop because the price was right. Pulled the engine after a few 100 miles and found a broken piston land and I am in process of replacing the single piston and rings, re-using the remaining.

In looking over the engine all of the cylinders are glazed and shiney with no visible hone remaining. (I guess I got what I paid for).

I would like to re-hone all of the cylinders and would prefer doing so without dissasembling the entire engine, pull the crank, cam etc. (e.g. just removing the rod / pistons only, hone and re-assemble).

Bad idea? or ok?

I would prefer responses from experienced engine rebuilders (I am only a hobbiest) and not general opinions.

Thanks,

Daniel

 

[Hitman]

If using a ball hone on the end of a drill, that's fine. I've done it before many times. If it's a stone hone, like a CK-10, you'll need to disassemble even to mount the block in the machine.

Make sure the bore size and piston size are within tolerance, otherwise a hone job will be a wasted effort.

 

[cadillac512]

Done this many times when a less than perfect job was needed. Cover the crank as well as possible as you hone each bore,rotating as needed. The object is to keep grit out of the oil holes and off the journals as much as you can. Flush with plenty of your choice of petroleum based solvents...kerosene, diesel fuel, whatever you can get to flush away the grit after honing. Then get some hot soapy water...plenty of soap like Dawn dish soap...on a rag and scrub the bores two or three times, followed by a double wipe with a sopping wet rag with plain warm water. Oil the bores as soon as they dry to keep rust away. Make sure you flush as much as you can from the crank areas...grit is death.
Never had an engine fail this way, and working in an area where money was tight we did a lot of engines this way. Less cylinder/piston wear is best, but I've done a bunch that were beyond worn limits. Make sure the ring grooves aren't worn wide in the pistons though...that's important.