any honing need for replacement of stock piston

[rookie517]

i may just want to replace a stock bore piston back

as my dealer has got ex-stock and no waiting time

do i need to hone my cylinder??

[kelstr]

yes you always need to brake the glaze and hone any cylinder with a ball hone and wash up all the componuts and do a dry assembly to correctly set the rings and end up with a tight nice cylinder seal that will last and never use oil or contaminate the head and valves with oil and or carbon .

[rookie517]

thanks kelstr!

[rookie517]

whats the market price for doing a standard honing??

anyone??

[rookie517]

just done a search, do i seriously need a hone?

i read about some cyclinder do not need to be hone because it is plated, is our XR cylinder plated or is iron liner?

sorry for the questions...

[LotsOfBikes]

It doesn't matter if it is plated or not, it still needs to be honed. If you don't hone it, the rings won't likely seat properly, and you'll have oil and loss of power issues. It'll still run, just not as good as it could.

Here is a good read for you .. It has worked on the three dirtbikes that I've tried it on.

http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

[Silver Surfer]

just done a search, do i seriously need a hone?

i read about some cyclinder do not need to be hone because it is plated, is our XR cylinder plated or is iron liner?

sorry for the questions...

despite what LotsOfBikes says, you NEVER hone a plated cylinder (Nikaskil). you still need to buff the cylinder to break the glaze though.

you should always hone a steel cylinder, your XR has a steel cylinder

[rookie517]

to ya guys!!

[kelstr]

you must hone all cylinders , nikilsil, chrome ,aluminum, steel ,

if you want the rings to seat and make good kleen power,

also the dry assembly is very important ,

and the top guys will turn the motor over dry quite afew times to help the rings bite and start the bedding in process,

this is very important on nikilsil plated cylinders .

it is the only way to get the rings to bite,

then you warm it up stink hot and ride it like you stole it,

no little week brake in and foo fooing it around, you need to run them hard !!

deceleration with engine braking and the whole bit.

i can't tell you how many bikes i have to do over for guys that assemble wet, and or wont hone, or do the foo foo brake in on there bikes .

its just sad.

[Campisi]

I had to pull my engine apart and am getting ready to put it all back together - same piston and rings. Do I need a hone?

[Silver Surfer]

I had to pull my engine apart and am getting ready to put it all back together - same piston and rings. Do I need a hone?

why not pick up a set of new rings and hone. a pretty cheap way to freshen up your top end

[kelstr]

god don't do that,

the rings seat in the cylinder only in one position, you can never get that back, plus its glazed now ,

your already there , just hone it and install a new piston and rings with a dry build and the thing will run 10 times better,

i would hope you went through the head and also and freshened it up .

and cked for loose guides and stuff

if you are there you may as well do it correct !!

[Campisi]

Nope, didn't go through the head. Everything ran great when I pulled it apart (a tooth from the starter gear went through the case). I'm getting the case welded, I guess I'll get some new rings and hone it. Thanks

[rookie517]

can we do honing on our own?

[kelstr]

can we do honing on our own?

yes , you are just braking the glaze and getting a rough clean dry surface for the rings to bite into.

you are not removing any materail,

you can get alot of different Flex Hone ball hones in many sizes,----they can be had a most machinist supply stores and some times napa or even the tool truck guys have some on board,

you just spin them with any hand drill and run it back and forth in the hole with solvent or 30 wt on it several times until you get it dull and all nice and crosshatched and your done.

i like a 240 grit 3 1/2" size to do most all the bike cylinders with,

these hones come in 1/2" to 10" and more and can be used for everthing,

i repair cam journals ,wrist pin bores in pitons , case holes where seals go ,

they are a must have !!

[rookie517]

thanks kelstr, for the info!

[LotsOfBikes]

Silver Surfer,

So explain to everyone how it is that an unhoned and glazed cylinder will be able to grind away at the rings, and force them to seat properly??

That is the purpose of a fresh hone, which is why some people use no assembly lubrication, then rotate the crank by hand. It is to grind away at the imperfect rings and force them to conform to the imperfect shape of cylinder. Without a fresh hone, this does not happen.

Fortunatelly many others, like kelstr, know the facts.