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Hi all! First time tearing down an engine. Im fairly certain the cylinders need bored but looking for another opinion to see if its even worth it.
There was significant rust in 4 cylinders so I cleaned them up and hit them with a 3 stone hone. Theres still pitting in the cylinders walls. Feels smooth but you can see it for sure.
So, am I correct in saying its definitely needing bored out?
Internet pictures are always a gamble, but it looks bad. If you can feel any of the pitting, it will definitely need an over bore. Good news is that a 5.3 block can usually go pretty far out without any issues.
Basically bolting the cylinder head to the block w/head gasket and torqing to spec cause the block to distort. So the machine work should be done with that stress simulated using a torque plate. Otherwise if the machine work is done without a torque plate the cylinder holes won't be perfect cylinders and perfectly round when the head is bolted down. When that happens obviously ring seal can be compromised. Many top notch shops often also bolt on an oil pump etc to simulate additional stresses to ensure best possible results.
Aluminum blocks with iron liners are very susceptible to this issue. However it also affects iron blocks without liners as well. I had a iron block 383 small block chevy that had horrible ring seal and one of the many issues was the asshat's that did the motor didn't use torque plates when boring and honing the block. You could see the resulting distortion in the cylinder walls when that 383 SBC was torn down.
More info...
LS torque plate LS block getting machine work with torque plate in place.
The torque plate is to simulate cylinder distortion that is present only when the cylinder head has been fastened to the engine block. It helps to ensure that the tolerances targeted and achieved during the boring and honing processes remain true with the cylinder head in place; A must for any application looking to exceed factory performance levels.
Last edited by 99 Black Bird T/A; Sep 20, 2022 at 09:08 AM.
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Gen 3 5.3 needs bored? 
