Self hone block or machine shop bore and hone??

[Guest Night_rider_383]

I'm rebuilding a 1971 350 for a daily driver. The engine had one broke ring, and the bottom "tang" on the pistons skirts of 2 pistons was broke, but the block is in good shape. No cross hatch left in the cyl. though, but only a tiny lip at the top, that you can't feel unless you drag your fingernail across it pressing kinda hard.

 

Would it be the best to go ahead and have it bored and honed at the machine shop, or just hone it myself at home with a 3 stone cyl. hone?

 

If the machine shop is the best way what should I take it too? it's a stock bore (4.00'') block now. Should I just have it took to .010'' over or go ahead and go with the common .030'' over? (it will clean up with few little over sizeing)

 

Thanks

John

[jt1]

My feelings are that if you have to buy new pistons, you might as well give them fresh straight bores to ride in, since the pistons are the biggest expense. If the pistons were ok to reuse and you were gonna rering, a hone would be fine if the lip isn't too bad. How much to bore sorta depends on the budget, 30 pistons are very common and less expensive, 10's and 20's are usually more $$$$.

 

john

[aviatorx]

if you really want to do it yourself (and you can with the right tools), at least use a flexible hone like this rather than the three stone hone..... The flex hone has better self-centering characteristics and will produce a better cylinder finish. The three stone hone is really for brake cylinder finishing.

 

 

http://www.toolsource.com/ost1/product.asp?sourceid=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch%2Emsn%2Ecom%2Fspresults%2Easpx%253fsrch%3D206%2526q%3Dcylinder%2Bhone&dept%5Fid=500&pf%5Fid=76659&mscssid=X8GFHNVNFSS92GVT00J74FSAN9MC99F6

[Guest Night_rider_383]

Thanks guys for the reply. I'm just gonna have it bored and honed .030'' at the machine shop for $96.00. That away i'll know the cyls are giving the rings a good true bore to seal in

[denny411]

For that price I would definately have it professionally bored. The going rate in my area is 20.00 a hole.

[Guest Night_rider_383]

Wow $20 a hole and I was fussing about 96 bucks total lol.. I'm sure glad I aint out in your part of the woods. Out here 95-125 is HIGH but darn good work.

[Guest BigWhyteDude]

friend of mine had a 350 out of a impala 64 bored .30 over and it came back .6+ over the shop had to buy him a new block that sucked. cuz he was building the motor as a senior project in h/s and it delayed him liike a month

[80LS1T]

To bore and hone my 350 .030 over, it costed me $144 and all of my holes were within in .001 of each other!

 

 

Guy