Ball Hone question

[unior]

Ok heres the story:

I bought a 91 TSi AWD with 90k miles on it with a snapped t belt. I knew the car would need but I only paid $400 for the thing so I bought it anyway.

So I pulled the head and found some nice custom valve reliefs in the pistons - custom forged by all 16 valves

Now my friend tells me I should just drop the oil pan, pull the rod caps and slide the rods/pistions out through the top of the motor. Then use a berry bush (ball hone) on a drill and put in new pistons, rings, rod bearings then put it all back together.

Using this method I woulnd't have to pull the block which would be somewhat of a PITA in my garage right now.

Any opinions on this method? I have two options - get it running and sell it and still profit some $$. Or get it running and go through with my plans to slap my newly aquired 50 trim on it...

advice wanted

TIA

 

[Lancer14]

Its hard to say if you can get away with just a ball hone until you actually pull the pistons out and check out the bores. My '90 had about 155K miles on it when I pulled the motor. The cylinders were in amazing condition for the mileage and I was able to get away without overboring. Since the car isn't going anywhere anyway, I would just pull it apart and check it out. Worst thing that could happen is that you find out you need to go overbore and pull the block out.

Chris

 

[unior]

yeah welli plan on tearing it apart no matter what

so basically i am hearing that if the cylinder walls are not scored or scuffed then i can ball hone it out - and as long as those rings seal well and make good compression then im good to go and make some boost?

thanks, unior

 

[Defiant]

Unless those are really serious divots in the piston crowns, I'd not disturb the bottom end.

 

[Suparata]

The easiest and least expensive thing you could do besides have the head rebuilt right (check the guides for cracks and wear) is to ask somebody who knows what he's doing to measure the bores besides a visual inspection.
Mitch.

 

[98TsiAWD]

Well you do also have the option of "grinding" any sharp edges off the marks left by the valves ontop of the pistons. Make sure you get no shavings in the ringland or down coolant or oil passages on teh block surface tho!

Or if you insist on new pistons, I would just save yourself a HUGE headache and pull the whole motor. Trust me, pulling the head, honing, cleaning, timing belt etc will be alot easier this way. Probly less work that pulling the head while the motor is still in the car alone.

When you hone the cylinders just make rapid up and down strokes (counting them, so you get them equal between cylinders) using hone oil on the ball hone brush. I believe its a 60/90 degree crosshatch you want? Dont quote me on that. Also have the piston oil squirters removed fromt he block while you are honing, you dont want to catch one of those and rip it off. Dont hone it more than necessary, just enough to get a good crosshatch and remove any small scratches in the walls if there is any.

Before you remove the crank, stick a breaker bar ont he end of it and turn it over a couple times (with pistons/rods removed) slowly to make sure you dont feel any resistance while turning. If you do feel some abnormal resistance in certain spots either your line bore will need to be done and/or your crank is out of round.

 

[98TsiAWD]

Originally posted by Suparata
The easiest and least expensive thing you could do besides have the head rebuilt right (check the guides for cracks and wear) is to ask somebody who knows what he's doing to measure the bores besides a visual inspection.
Mitch.

Do this as soon as you get those pistons/rods out, use a guage to check the roundness and diameter of all the bores. Make sure they are within spec of stock, or else you will have to have it bored at a machine shop and go .020 overbore pistons.

 

[unior]

hmm i dunno about putting the motor together without another set of pistions these things have wicked dents. I need to take some pictures of them and show you guys. It sounds like I'm just gonna put it together with another set of 1g rods and pistons.

thanks for the advice