cylinder ridge reaming

I am overhauling a JD 60 and need to ream the ridge in the end of the cylinders. The cylinder is 5.5 inches in diameter and I cannot locate a cylinder ridge reamer that will reach that wide. Any suggestions of what I might do other than having it rebored?

I am assuming the ridge is at the top of cylinders where the piston never travels? If yes, Can you simply leave it there and install your pistons from the bottom of the jug? May need to leave the jug loose on the studs and then slide everything into place once the piston rings are carefully worked up into the cylinders.

Just put 2 gaskets in where the block bolts to the crankcase.

If it were mine I would put a depth bracket on a die grinder to keep it from dropping down deeper than the ridge and clean it off smooth. If your overhaul includes new pistons I would worry about leaving a ridge. I personally have never put a head on an engine leaving any cylinder top ridge.

My previous reply to leave the ridge was based on the assumption that you were simply installing new rings on old pistons. (especially since you did not mention honing or anything). As long as the replacement gaskets are the same thickness as the old ones (and you do not mill the the jug) then that ridge will not be a factor if left alone if you reuse your current pistons.

Now if you are installing new pistons, I doubt you will meet proper tolerances without boring or at least some honing. That said, If it is close enough to work with new pistons then I would use use a die grinder or even a dremel (like the others mentioned) to remove that top ridge if new pistons (or even different used pistons) are going to be installed.

I would NEVER leave a ridge, the idea of dremel with depth gauge sounds interesting. I take the ridge out before removing pistons.

Thanks to all who offered help! I had mused on using the dremel also. I'll let you know how it comes out.

Your just looking in the wrong places. Find a place that rebuilds big rig engines and they will be able to tell you where to find the correct ridge reamer.

If there is that much ridge. It means the cylinders are worn and need re-bored then oversize pistons used.

I have one big enough to do it, but if it has a

ridge that needs to be removed , it needs to be

bored . I have boring bars and hones big enough

to do all of the JD jugs.

george

28 years ago on my first tractor i just didnt have the money to fix its very worn out engine. It was an International B450 with 264 diesel engine.The rings were worn out and top ones brocken due to use of ether etc, valves and seats were very poor as well. Old local guys told me tractor would never start and run on its own again without a complete engine re-build. I got some oversize rings, honed the bores and filed a small chamfer off the leading edge of the top rings. I also turned a wooden plug just under the bore size complete with a shoulder so it only dropped down the bore the depth of the ridge. A hole was drilled in the centre of it where i put in a bolt so I could grab it with an electric drill. Once I had done this I then fixed some abrasive paper to the outer edge of the plug and used this in a very controlled manner to remove the ridge. I know its not a professional way to do the work but it did work and cost virtualy nothing which is great when you have no money. I then re-gapped all those oversize rings. The end result was a tractor that started and ran without ether, funnily enough I still have it all these year later and never been back in the engine.
Bill