[gtobob67]

Can you remove pistons on an engine with only 2500 miles after complete rebuild including cylinder boring and plateau honing with a torque plate and then install the pistons again with same rings. Rings not removed from the pistons. If not, can I install new rings without honing. I've done some research on this, and some say, including a sealed power engineer, that new technology in moly piston rings includes a lapping process and honing is not recommended if the cylinder walls show the correct cross hatch with no scratches, scoring, or taper. Says the rings that were removed are sacrificial and left a perfect finish for new moly rings.

[Cliff R]

I've done this quite a few times here as we build full Race engines and "freshen" them up from time to time.

Since these are relatively low mileage as well, the cylinder walls will be in near perfect shape. This should NEVER be attempted on higher mileage engines with egg shaped/tapered bores, ridge at all present at the top of the bores or engines that had parts failed and pumped enough material thru them to put deep scratches in the bores, etc.

I have a hone in my tool box with some pretty fine stones on it and I just hit the bores for about 25 strokes with it and install new file fitted moly top/cast iron second rings on the pistons and run with it. To date ZERO issues doing this and perfect ring seal every single time.

Some say I could just save funds and put the pistons right back in the bores but good information on that deal is spotty and controversial, so I go with a very light hone and new rings instead.......FWIW......Cliff

[HWYSTR455]

At 2500 miles, there should be nothing wrong with those rings, provided they broke in correctly. I have personally re-installed rings in that type of a situation without a problem.

As for new rings, I would have to say it depends. But if you use the same ring type as originally, I would imagine it would be fine too, especially at a low milage as you have. Worse case, it would take a little longer for them to seat/break-in.

.

[PAUL K]

You should be able to do what your asking. We do it all the time. Generally if the wear mark (shiny spot that rubs against the cylinder) on the second ring is less than a third of the ring thickness and everything else looks good we reuse the rings.

[grandam1979]

I have done a few times also on a 541 and a 468 both had no problems. The 468 did dragweeks last fall with no problems. The guy I did it for had them seal his hood closed never opened it the hole week and he said no significant oil use.

[gtobob67]

Thanks for the replies. I checked my second ring and the wear is less than a third. So I'll use the rings as is. My bearings after tear down, well that's another story. I started a new thread.

[Schurkey]

There was a time when Smokey Yunick said that the "glaze" left on used cylinders didn't need to be "broken"; it was an excellent anti-piston-scuff approach to cylinder wall finish. (Assumes that the cylinder is still round and straight, not bellmouthed, or otherwise worn.)

I've never been that bold. I stuff a 320-grit Flex-Hone in the bore and spin it around some while flooding the cylinder with kerosene.

Then I scrub the cylinders vertically with a Scotchbrite pad--a trick I picked up from David Vizard's writings. The SBC 5.7L short-block I just assembled for my truck would turn with <15 ft/lbs on the damper bolt.

Someday I may graduate to a genuine plateau brush.

[mgarblik]

Originally Posted by Schurkey

There was a time when Smokey Yunick said that the "glaze" left on used cylinders didn't need to be "broken"; it was an excellent anti-piston-scuff approach to cylinder wall finish. (Assumes that the cylinder is still round and straight, not bellmouthed, or otherwise worn.)

I've never been that bold. I stuff a 320-grit Flex-Hone in the bore and spin it around some while flooding the cylinder with kerosene.

Then I scrub the cylinders vertically with a Scotchbrite pad--a trick I picked up from David Vizard's writings. The SBC 5.7L short-block I just assembled for my truck would turn with <15 ft/lbs on the damper bolt.

Someday I may graduate to a genuine plateau brush.

I think you can skip that "graduation" if you want. I bought a set of plateau brushes for our CV 616 Sunnen hone. I have checked cylinder wall finishes with a portable profilometer and found no meaningful difference between a ball flex hone and the brushes. I may be missing something, but I really feel it's a wash between the Sunnen brushes and a ball hone. Now a true plateau dimensional hone is a different deal. Sunnen, I believe likes the brushes because it is a real time saver between doing a 3 or 4 stone real plateau finish and just doing a 70 grit rough, a 220 finish and a few strokes with their brush. They are all about production. A 4 step real plateau hone takes 4-5 hours to get perfect if doing the complete oversize in the hone, which is how I generally do it. Setting up our antique boring mill and then honing takes even longer. Depends on the level of equipment I guess. If cylinders are round and straight, a ball hone is my best friend.

[Half-Inch Stud]

Bit of a judgement to reuse the 2nd or Upper depending on the visual inspection, and prior running health.

I like the opportunity to reuse oil rings and 2nd ring, but is not a perpetuating plan.

Always got to inspect ring land wear on rings and slugs.