For starters i have my motor down to the short block it has just over 100,000 on it and has started smoking, so i want to rering it and do some new bearings in it. I just have a couple questions

1. Is it ok to use one of those power drill honing tools?

2. If so will just one of the 3 blade ones from the auto parts store work? or should i use something else? i can still see the stock cross hatch marks in all the cylinders

3. Since the motor is all stock and never been rebuild can i use stock bore size rings? since they are file fit

4. Can i use stock size bearings? the motor ran fine no knocks or anything

5. Since i am going to be running some nitrous through her should i go ahead and do a steel top ring? what brand would you use?

6. What brand bearings would you go with?

7. And should i go ahead and do arp rod bolts and head studs while i am in there?

 

Honestly. I wouldnt take a chance doing it at home. An affordable but well done job would be worth my time and money to know that it was being done by a place that does them by the truckloads all the time.

 

Studding the block may be a little bit on the overdone side. GM replacement bolts would be fine. However, I would take this time to do the rod bolts with something that will hold better...Katech or ARP.

 

1. yes

2. yes

3. yes

4.yes thats your only choice

5. good idea any moly ring should do

6. can't go wrong with clevite 77's

7. good idea make sure you get the arp 2000 rod bolts

 

if you do hone it with a brush/ball hone, make sure you find a local machine shop to do a through clean on it. douching it off with a garden hose doesnt cut it anymore.

 

Would the brush/ball be better than the 3 blade tool? and i have read you just run it through a couple times then reverse the drill and run it through a couple more times, is this the right method?

What lube do you guys use with these tools? i read somewhere that just engine oil will work, will that be ok?

And ya i wanted to have the block hot tanked after i do all the work to it

 

the brush hone is just a glaze breaker, which is what you want, the other one with 3 stones will actually remove material, probably more material than you want. my suggestion would be to take your pistons and block to the machine shop and tell them you want the bores cleaned up, they will measure your pistons, hone it and they will fit fine, you cant check all that at home unless you have a dial bore gauge and a 3-4 mic. it may cost you 100 bucks or so, but atleast you know its done right and you wont have excessive clearence resulting in annoying piston slap.

 

Ok thanks, i did some calling around today to just have my short block reringed and new bearings installed and they wanted 1000 if i bought the rings and bearings myself... i will call around tomorrow and ask them how much it would be to just clean up my cylinders and i will fit the rings and everything myself at home

 

yea labor rates are nuts at machine shops anymore. just to mic the piston and measure the bore, and finsih the cylinder shouldnt be too expensive.