Cylinder hone

[AshimotoK0]

Need to get replacement stones for a 3 -legged  cylinder hone I am borrowing .. Do I need fine, medium or coarse stones?

[UK Pete]

mine has medium, when i hone i do a quick in out about 4 or 5 times that is enough to rough up the bores in order for the rings to bed in, you dont want to go to mad as you are taking life off the bores, i have seen people on youtube going at the bores for ages real aggressively, it just not the way to do it 

[MCTID]

Reminds me of a Factory I worked in years ago as a Machine Shop Inspector..........we made Compressors and there was a new Irish chap who worked on a Honing Machine, honing the finished bored Cylinders (minimum diameter was about 12" and maximum was about 18"). He was struggling to get them within tolerance for 'Ovality' and I had to keep refusing all his efforts......word quickly got around and thereafter he was known as 'Michael O' Vality'.

Moral of the story was that the secret was in how the Cylinders were clamped and the number and positioning of the clamps - but this only came with 'experience'.

[Johnwebley]

mine has medium, when i hone i do a quick in out about 4 or 5 times that is enough to rough up the bores in order for the rings to bed in, you dont want to go to mad as you are taking life off the bores, i have seen people on youtube going at the bores for ages real aggressively, it just not the way to do it

  I used a long split pin and a 6" length of med emery,spun it slowly in a drill,sprayed the bores with WD40 as lube,gave a nice
fine crosshatch marking,seemed to work ok

 I was just fitting a new piston and full set of rings,so wanted to give the bores something to bed the rings in,

[Bryanj]

If you just want to clean them up use a "Flap Wheel" mate

[MCTID]

Just reading through this thread again and thought I should stress that the main point of 'Honing' cylinder bores is to reduce the 'peaks' left from the boring process (as it is done with a single point tool - which leaves a series of tiny ridges on the surface) so that the initial wear on the piston rings is minimised........but you don't want to leave the surface perfectly flat and polished as the aim is to leave some minimal 'ridges' which trap the circulating oil and allows the pistons/ rings to overcome friction and therefore reduce wear as the engine begins it's life........hence people have rightly suggested that a few quick runs through with a honing tool is all that's needed.

I know that all you 'Engineers' out there will understand this concept......but as some have pointed out - other less technically able people will spend ages achieving a wonderfully flat and polished profile - for all the wrong reasons.

Also, if you want an interesting read.....check out the use of Nikasil coatings in Jaguar and BMW engines where the breaking down of the cylinder bore surface from high levels of Sulphur in the petrol can cause catastrophic problems and basically junks the engine......

[AshimotoK0]

Reason I am using the hone is that there is water staining on 2 of my 500/4 bores so trying to see if I can successfully remove it. If not it's a rebore or good used set

[Bryanj]

Thought you had a ridge or is this the other set you had chance of mate

[royhall]

When you say 'Water Staining' Ash what exactly is that. Sounds like rust?