[oldsmo]

As the title says I am trying to clean them up a little before I throw the new cam in. I was going to buy a small ball hone from snap-on. What size hone would you use or do you use?

Thanks,
Josh

 

[xntrik]

As the title says I am trying to clean them up a little before I throw the new cam in. I was going to buy a small ball hone from snap-on. What size hone would you use or do you use?

Thanks,
Josh

I guess the engine is still assembled.
If they fit freely, I wouldn't worry about it.

GM lifters are about 3/4 dia. (.742)

use 7/8 inch, easy does it, just a quick spin. All you're doing is knocking a little varnish off if the block has not been machined.

I've even used a brake cylinder hone for a couple light-quick passes after shop shot blasted block.

Remember all that trash, grinding stone particles are going down into the engine.

If there's no crank in the block, I'd shoot some carb cleaner in there, wipe, and oil them. You MUST get all the oil and grinding gunk out of there before installing lifters.

 

[CNC BLOCKS NE]

I guess the engine is still assembled.
If they fit freely, I wouldn't worry about it.

GM lifters are about 3/4 dia. (.742)

use 7/8 inch, easy does it, just a quick spin. All you're doing is knocking a little varnish off if the block has not been machined.

I've even used a brake cylinder hone for a couple light-quick passes after shop shot blasted block.

Remember all that trash, grinding stone particles are going down into the engine.

If there's no crank in the block, I'd shoot some carb cleaner in there, wipe, and oil them. You MUST get all the oil and grinding gunk out of there before installing lifters.

If you are talkong about a Chevy and all of the SBC and the BBC I have worked on the liftes have been .842 and if you are talking about a Ford they are .875 just let the Snap.

As I am guessing here as you did not name what engine you have!!!!!!!!!

 

[xntrik]

If you are talkong about a Chevy and all of the SBC and the BBC I have worked on the liftes have been .842 and if you are talking about a Ford they are .875 just let the Snap.

As I am guessing here as you did not name what engine you have!!!!!!!!!

I got 2 out of 3 numbers right.
Doggone it..... that brain frag thing again......... thank you SIR :thumbup:

 

[CNC BLOCKS NE]

I got 2 out of 3 numbers right.
Doggone it..... that brain frag thing again......... thank you SIR :thumbup:

Yep You was close but only .100 off it suks to get old.

 

[454C10]

Be careful with that. Make the bores too big and you will have lifter/oil pressure issues.

 

[oldsmo]

If you are talkong about a Chevy and all of the SBC and the BBC I have worked on the liftes have been .842 and if you are talking about a Ford they are .875 just let the Snap.

As I am guessing here as you did not name what engine you have!!!!!!!!!

sorry about that.. SBC -Thanks for the replies everyone-

 

[killerformula]

I guess the engine is still assembled.
If they fit freely, I wouldn't worry about it.

GM lifters are about 3/4 dia. (.742)

use 7/8 inch, easy does it, just a quick spin. All you're doing is knocking a little varnish off if the block has not been machined.

I've even used a brake cylinder hone for a couple light-quick passes after shop shot blasted block.

Remember all that trash, grinding stone particles are going down into the engine.

If there's no crank in the block, I'd shoot some carb cleaner in there, wipe, and oil them. You MUST get all the oil and grinding gunk out of there before installing lifters.

Hey x,

When you hone the lifter bores aren't you stuffing some of the gritt into the oiling holes on the side of the bore? How do you go about cleaning those?

K

 

[KULTULZ]

The bores need to be true and clean to allow the lifter to rotate freely. It is also true that if if one gets carried away and hones out of specs, oil pressure will suffer and it is possible for the lifter to c-o-c-k (guess they have had trouble with that word... ) in the bore(s) and cause further valvetrain problems.

If just replacing camshaft, care must be taken to not allow filth to reach the cam bearings or drop into the pan.

 

[k-star]

bores

If all your doing is replacing the cam and the engine is still assembled i would "NOT" hone the bores.. Those little brush hones will blow debirs in the oil holes that you cannot get back out with the engine assembled...

If the engine is completely apart you can remove the front and rear plugs at the end of the oil holes and use some brushes to clean them out after honing..


A word of caution,,those brush hone will do stupid things to the cross oil holes the first few times you use them... Don't be suprsed if the lifter works fine before you hone them and then does not even go in after you hone them... been there done that.

I use a sunnen style hone to do mine but it's to costly for the average guy... I have used wheel cylinder hones with good results.They just take a feel to get use to....


Keith

 

[xntrik]

Hey x,

When you hone the lifter bores aren't you stuffing some of the grit into the oiling holes on the side of the bore? How do you go about cleaning those?

K

Ah, didn't I say that?????? I wasn't trying to write a book here.

I figured that "into the engine" would cover that minor detail. :thumbup: and maybe I conclude erroneously that people would understand the simplicity of the situation.

First I said that if the lifters go in freely that I would leave them alone.

Grandpy :welcome: always said, "Common sense ain't so common". LOL :thumbup:

 

[CNC BLOCKS NE]

The bores need to be true and clean to allow the lifter to rotate freely. It is also true that if if one gets carried away and hones out of specs, oil pressure will suffer and it is possible for the lifter to c-o-c-k (guess they have had trouble with that word... ) in the bore(s) and cause further valvetrain problems.

If just replacing camshaft, care must be taken to not allow filth to reach the cam bearings or drop into the pan.

I really doubt using a blue berry hone or a brake cylinder hone you could take enough material to over size a lifter bore as they are just finishing tools not sizing tools like the Sunnen lifter bore hones we have in the shop for .842 .875 and .904

And if you have the bore gauges to check the sizing of GM lifter bore you would be quite surprised how much some of them are out of round and the taper you may find in some others.

 

[xntrik]

As a semi-related side comment....

You might be suprised how many people I have seen that do NOT wash and clean/ galleries, etc, of a freshly machined and jet washed block they get from the machine shop.

And you ought to see their bearings and crankshaft when they come in and gripe after 3,000 miles.

I'l bet TOM and CNC have seen it too...