Cylinder hones?

tracto-man · Jan 3, 2017

Was thinking about rebuilding a Skidoo RAVE 583 snowmobile engine, but with the cost of having the cylinders honed, it's about not worth it. Then today walking through O'riely's auto parts, I noticed one of those little cylinder hones that just mounts to a drill press? For $30 I doubt how good it would work but thought it might be worth a try. Anybody ever try one?
Link to one at Harbor freight

rrlund · Jan 3, 2017

I've got one of those. About all they do is take the glaze off. I've got a bar type too that you turn a nut and expand it inside the cylinder. Even that one can't do the job that the stand alone machine my son has in his engine machine shop does.

Steve@Advance · Jan 3, 2017

That's not really a hone, it's a "glaze breaker".

It's function is to slightly rough up the slick surface of a cylinder wall so the rings will seat. It will also kinda-sorta smooth out minor imperfections. It will not resize a cylinder or remove taper or out of round. It's used when the same pistons or same size piston will go back in.

If the engine needs a more complete rebuild, there is a honing machine that is used for oversizing and truing a cylinder. It is mounted to a precision drive that guides it, and the hone itself has mechanical linkages that hold the stones straight and open them to a set size. Then the oversize pistons and rings are installed, which brings the engine back into specs.
Honing Machine

T.R.K. · Jan 3, 2017

I read the posts below. I guess it depends on if you are just putting new rings in or if you are re-sizing the cylinders.

I've put rings in many Briggs and Kohler small engines using a hone like you describe. Most times if the cylinder wasn't totally worn out-minimal taper-I got satisfactory results too.

For what its worth: I have seen a small engine that was deglazed by hand with abrasive paper-I can't remember if it was emery cloth or whether it was sandpaper. Well actually I was told to do it once in a lawnmower shop I worked at. And it did make a difference how much the engine smoked.

Whatever you try, be sure to wash the cylinders good and clean with soap and water. The hone grit is mean to rings and bearings so you want to get it out of there.

tracto-man · Jan 3, 2017

Thanks for the info guys. Cylinders do appear to have some very very minor scoring, but not enough that I can feel anything. Hoping to put same size pistons back in IF I decide to rebuild. Crank needs new bearings so I'm still thinking about it. Oh, it's a 2 stroke engine, not sure if that changes anything.

JD Seller · Jan 3, 2017

Like the others have told you the one your seeing at HF and local shops are deglazing hones. They do make boring hones. I have three sets. I have done lots of small engines with them. I set one with coarse stones and one with finish hones. IF you take your time and know what your doing you can get a near perfect cylinder.

The hones I am talking about have two stones across form each other and then two felt wipers/guides across from each other. They are adjusted in and out with a rack.

Alan K · Jan 3, 2017

Ive always used what they call the mule or rabbit turd hones for doing cross hatch in the cylinder bores.

4play · Jan 4, 2017

Not trying to slow your progress but you might research a bit to see if the cylinder is coated with a hardened coating like Nikasil. I have run into this before and without a special diamond coated hone you might do more harm than good. The diamond hone is hard enough to scratch the coating. If the cylinder is coated and in good shape, you might get by with simply washing the cylinder with muriactic acid using scotch brite pad, the acid cleans the aluminum piston debris in the cross hatches. Be careful with the acid since you are dealing with other aluminum parts on the jug, you only need to moisten the scotch brite pad to rub the cylinder down.

Dick2 · Jan 4, 2017

NOTE: I do not have a HF hone, but I have bought other stone products from HF and found their stones to be too soft to "do the job" according to my standards.

JF in MI · Jan 4, 2017

I agree with your acid method. Done it numerous times many years ago on a SkiDoo 440 engine.

Butch(OH) · Jan 4, 2017

We had a deglazng hone in the HS shop that used strips of emery cloth that was clipped over felt strips instead of stones. I have never seen another like it.

Cleaning cannot be over emphasized, lots of rebuilds have been ruined by not cleaning the by products of honing from cylinders. A simple wipe with a rag does very little good. Soap and hot water as suggested is best and use a stiff bristled brush, not rags. When you can dampen a white rag with new oil and rub the bore and have it come out the same color as it went in the bore is then clean.

Mike M · Jan 4, 2017

At one time I remember Briggs saying not to break the glaze when reringing with chrome rings. I'd for sure check with the engine manufacture.

dr sportster · Jan 4, 2017

To reuse the same size piston and new rings you want a ball hone. Snowmobile sounds like something that would have a nikasil lining.

Texasmark1 · Jan 4, 2017

I used to use the tripod flat hone till I read the directions with the ball (rabbit ball) hone. Made a lot of sense to me since cylinders were irregular after a set of rings wore out. Using it justified the directions.

Cylinder hones?

tracto-man

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rrlund

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Steve@Advance

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T.R.K.

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tracto-man

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JD Seller

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Alan K

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4play

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Dick2

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JF in MI

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Butch(OH)

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Mike M

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dr sportster

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Texasmark1

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