Lite Hone?

[first timer]

I am in the process of rebuilding my 550 (leaky base gasket) any ways was just wondering if i could do a lite hone job on the cylinders and use the existing rings? one of the cylinder walls has a very light vertical scrach and i wanted to see if i could remove it. I looked at the piston/rings from that cylinder and the rings looked ok nothing chewed up or gauged.

On a side note any tips on how to polish piston crowns and combustion chamber? Not going to do any porting was hoping to polish to keep the carbon down. What kind of stuff do I need to get from Harbor Freight?

[Nessism]

No value in polishing pistons or chambers - carbon will stick either way. Couldn't hurt to knock down any sharp edges but that's about it.

It's not advisable to hone if using old rings either. The parts are already mated to one another and honing will disturb the relationship between the parts.

Not sure how much new rings cost but I'd get them, along with a hone job, if they are not too much money.

[bwringer]

I've used a flex-hone to lightly freshen bores a couple of times with excellent results. About 10 seconds per cylinder with a cordless drill does it. Keep the drill moving up and down for that lovely cross-hatch pattern.

However, I've always replaced the rings. Rings are only about $20 a set, so it's less trouble to scare up an extra $80 than to risk needing to re-do the whole thing.

I would only consider re-using rings if they were replaced very recently.

[Big T]

Check you end ring gap before and after.
You may need a bore job.
Just don't overdo it with the honing , or you will need a bore job

[Guest]

To test the ring gap take the rings off the piston. Put each ring in the cylinder it came out of and push it in straight with the piston. Measure the gap at the break in the ring. Check your manual for specs.