Guide to honing a block?

[TrueSlide]

Thinking of buying a honing kit. I got the idea of honing it. Put the bit in a drill press, level the block and hone. But what are some ways to get a better hone, Iam sure the RPM you run the blocks at make a huge difference and what to lubricate it with? Someone was telling me to use brake fluid on the cylinder walls while honing. Can anyone back that up and what about RPM speed with the brake fluid.

????

Thanks in advance.

[im two techno]

Hey take the block to a machine shop. they have all kinds of goodies to do the block right. i paid 140 to have my sr block hot tanked honed and decked. Are you building this motor with molly rings?

[Chezedik]

The best way is to use a ball hone, but they are notoriously difficult to use if the motor isn't in a fixture. To get it done right, you will likely want to take it to a shop (plus the hone sets are pretty pricey).

EDIT: I would use antifreeze rather than brake fluid if it is a KA block, but I think the idea of you turning a drill and taking off enough material to make that necessary is a bit lude.

[emperor_lunchbox]

I think the cheapest way to do it would be to go to an auto parts dealer and buy the drill bit with the three scrubbers. The guy from the KA rebuild video has one, it seemed to work for him. He also recommends using transmission fluid for honing the cylinder walls.

[Chezedik]

I agree, and that is what I used to hone mine, but the ball hone is the better method.

[pregmantis]

I use the baLL hone, I forget the grit but thats important and getting the correct crosshatch pattern. you can do it on an engine stand.

[emperor_lunchbox]

Here is a link to a ball hone:http://www.brownsleisureworld....5.htm

here is the other one, I think this one would be best for your scenario. Its very cheap and easy to use, just don't leave the hone in one place too long, keep it moving of you will do damage to the cylinder wall. http://www.mytoolstore.com/kd/kdengi10.html#2833

[180fan]

Keeping it moving up and down at a pretty uniform speed is crucial to getting a good pattern. The typical areas that get a little too much taken off are at the top and bottom of the cylinder walls if you're going top to bottom. My personal recommendation is to take it to a machinist as it's not all that expensive to get done professionally. The tools to do a job like that can get pretty close to what you'd pay for a professional to do. Especially with a bore gauge if you're going to check over all the dimensions.

[straightedge]

if the engine is in dire need of a honing that nececitates removing a decent ammount of material then i would take it to a machinist. if you are just looking to get the engine running to throw a piston and rings in it to get you by then using the ball hone to break the glaze and put some kind of pattern on it would be ok. just try to be as consistent with the cross hatching as you can.

[240DRFT]

when i honed a block for practice, my teacher had me lubed it with motor oil.

[TrueSlide]

I bought the one with the scrubbers. STD sized rings and stuff going back in, so I just need to get the slight pitts out and smooth it up. I have a extra block to test it on, so I hope it works out. Seems kinda of easy.