[Mike]

how much can a cylinder be honed before you have to use the next size up rings?

Cheers
Mike

[ball]

You will have a maximum piston to bore clearance that is more important

[Mike]

can a standard sierra be honed and still use standard pistons?

[TZAR]

Mike wrote:

can a standard sierra be honed and still use standard pistons?

Pistons increase by 0.5mm diametre so that is 0.25mm from each wall

So basically not very much is the answer to your question probably have to check the wear limit in the service manual.

Are you trying to get some crosshatching back on the bores?

[Mike]

theres a little bit of surface rust in the cylinders and i just wanted to clean them up a bit

[Damo]

Have you checked they're not out of round? I'll bet they are.

[Mike]

they didn't look too bad they only rusted because the head was off for a while

[Damo]

Mike wrote:

they didn't look too bad they only rusted because the head was off for a while

Fair enough. A hone should only take a small amount of material off the bores. If you remove enough to take you to the next piston size you're doing it wrong!

[Mike]

whats the best sort of honing tool is best to use?
so should i order standard pistons and rings or something bigger?

[Damo]

Mike wrote:

so should i order standard pistons and rings or something bigger?

You're best off measuring the bores and ordering to suit. I mean, how do you know it hasnt been bored out already.

[Mike]

touche
is there anyway of using the old pistons still?
the motor was good had 190psi across all 4 cylinders but it had developed a bit of a knock so i took the head off as i was gonna stip it down and rebuild it but i ended up not needing but now i'm just trying to get it going as a short term replacement

[twitchy]

I think you might of answered your own question there.

Question. Did you find what caused the knock???
If so & it wasn't from piston or gudgeon pin then a light hone & new rings could be fine.

[Mike]

i'm not sure that it was a knock now that i think of it it might of been the broken fan making the noise
i know this is very very dodgy but would a bit of 2000grit sand paper on the one little rust spot work? the rust spot is probably only a 2mm round spot

[twitchy]

steel wool & Kero, but I didn't say that..........

[11_evl]

just go buy the ball type and give it a light run thru. use a mix of kero and oil for lube. you will have to remove pistons. you will have to clean the bores very well after....

in saying that. it should only cost you $350 400 for new rings and pistons. $100 for a bore, $100 for gaskets, $200 for a head service, $80 for bearings. all worst case. and you will have a fresh motor that should last for many years.

[MART]

Mate , you won't be able to measure the bore without the right tools , take it down to your local engine reconditioner and ask them to mike up the cylinders , this should be free , you are checking for wear and out of round , take a piston as well and they will tell you if there standard. If all is good just get them to give it a light hone with a bottle brush honer , this should take 15 min max , this type of honer takes minimal metal of the bore and even if they bore it they will also use the same bottle brush honer to cross hatch the cylinders. You will have to buy new rings and gaskets so the only other cost would be new pistons and boring cost , Cheers Paul.

[Scrawny]

Don't use the tripod (3 legged) honer, bottlebrush is the way to go.