ring replacement what else should be done

[3kgt2nv]

I am going to be replacing my rings because the compression is a little lower than I would like.

I am going to unbolt the head and oil pan and remove the rods and pistons from the top of the block. Im going to inspect the cyl walls for the condition and rehone the walls, I will be using new berrings when reinstalling the rods.

Now the first 2 questions I have is can I hone the cyl walls without having to remove the block or does it make a mess of everything, I have never done this without doing an overbore which was done by a machine shop so a little insight would be nice.

And the second is since the crank is supposedly polished does it use standard sized berrings?

Also while im doing this I plan on doing a new mls head gasket, new oem timing belt, new gates water pump.

What else should i look at doing at the same time I do the other stuff while i have the engine apart

 

[rlacasse1]

All the gaskets. All the timing components.

Yes, you can just hone the block while it's in the car.

Yes, standard bearings should work. To my knowledge when they polish a crank they don't actually remove material like they do when they turn it down.

 

[3kgt2nv]

what is the best way/tool to hone it. i know you can get a cheapo tool at autozone but is that the best way to do it?

 

[rlacasse1]

That's the way that I have always done it. And I have always used a little bit of Carb Cleaner as a cleaner/lubricant when I was doing it. Always worked great for me. I bought my hone tool thing at O'Reillys.

 

[LiquidX]

Just to note, if you are doing a MLS or metal gasket in general you need to pull the block to get it re surfaced. You may as well install ARP studs if you haven't already and the bearing size for the rods will depend on the clearance, you have to measure for the right size. Are you measuring proper ring endgap and ensuring that your cylinders are round and not ovaled which happens over time.

 

[3kgt2nv]

My friend Adam, is going to help me he has built a few motors. He is going to plastigauge the berrings and do all the checks for cyl roundness and ring gap.

the deck was resurfaced 1000-3000 miles ago so if i need to do it again to do a mls head gasket ill just use an oem one.

the head has 0 miles and it was redecked before installation

as far as cyl condition goes the block was bored .20 over like 3000miles ago so im pretty confident that the cyl are going to be good just a light rehoning might be necessary

and arp studs are already in there

 

[rlacasse1]

If it had all that work done so recent then what happened to it that made it lose compression?

 

[3kgt2nv]

I do not think the rings ever properly seated from the original build.

 

[LiquidX]

What's the current cylinder compression, piston compression ratio, and how was the break in performed.

 

[3kgt2nv]

The pistons are wiesco 9.1 bored .20 over.

The compression was 115,90,125,125

No idea how the break in was done, But how the rest of the car was put together I am going to guess he put them in and beat the hell out of it.

I did a wet compression test the numbers jumped to 200,190,210,210 so I am pretty sure the rings are the culprit with the compression

 

[rlacasse1]

Yeah, Have fun rebuilding it. They really aren't that bad.

 

[LiquidX]

Regardless if that is hot or cold for testing, the 90 in the one cylinder is an issue. I have 155 in all of mine besides my currently blown cylinder.

Try a harder break in as an easy break in Doesn't seat the rings to the same range you are going to drive.

 

[3kgt2nv]

I figure once the new rings are in ill break it in by this method.

Start car
Dive for 3-4 minutes
boost normal to hard at operating temp for 15-20 minutes
change oil
beat the piss out of car for 20-30 miles


This has worked for the other motors I have had built. Figure it should be good here also.

Yeah, Have fun rebuilding it. They really aren't that bad.

Factory service manual says 121 is the service limit for a rebuild. Even if they were all at 125 I would still do all new rings.

 

[rlacasse1]

^^^^ I was saying rebuilding the engine isn't that bad. Not the compression results, those are horrible.

 

[3kgt2nv]

Ahhhhh gotcha.

 

[3kgt2nv]

so i was looking at all the gasket kits offered and was thinking of the cometic engine kit with a oem headgasket. for the timing belt was going to do a factory mitsu belt. i also going to replace the tensioner, tensioner pulley and idler pully.

i am going to hone the cyl and re ring the pistons do acl tri metal bearings and also install a gates water pump and reassemble everything.

is there anything people would also suggest or recommend different?

 

[LiquidX]

I would say if you wanted to get any head work done or put new pieces, do it while the head is already off. Other than that it sounds good.

 

[3kgt2nv]

head is just out of the machine shop with new hks valves and springs. new valve guides, new bc 272 cams and the newer lifters. was decked and put on the car less than 10 miles ago