Can this be reused without boring?

[travis]

This is just an old beater ‘87 F150. 351w, bone stock other than a 670 Holley on the factory 4bbl iron intake, E5AE heads, dished unmarked pistons .032” in the hole, standard bore.

There is just the tiniest ridge that you can barely feel, surprising with the miles and complete lack of oil pressure, but the factory crosshatch is faint at best...nearly all holes are polished very smooth. Would a 240 grit dingle ball hone and some fresh iron rings have any sort of lifespan? The engine had a lot of blow by.

There is also rust as shown in #3 and to a much lesser degree #7. There was a little water in both cylinders, although I’m not sure where it came from. I had the hood cracked open through a rainstorm a few days ago, but the engine was completely together including air cleaner when it happened. I don’t think that’s where it came from but I don’t know. There was a bit of water in the intake too, so maybe it is my fault.

This is supposed to be a dirt cheap freshen up, but I’ll have it bored if needed.

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[PackardV8]

This is just an old beater ‘87 F150. 351w, bone stock other than a 670 Holley on the factory 4bbl iron intake, E5AE heads, dished unmarked pistons .032” in the hole, standard bore.

There is just the tiniest ridge that you can barely feel, surprising with the miles and complete lack of oil pressure, but the factory crosshatch is faint at best...nearly all holes are polished very smooth. Would a 240 grit dingle ball hone and some fresh iron rings have any sort of lifespan? The engine had a lot of blow by. . . . This is supposed to be a dirt cheap freshen up, but I’ll have it bored if needed.

Yes, you can get a few more miles with a dingleball rering.

However, how's that going to make oil pressure where there is none now? Can't dingleball the crank.

[travis]

Yes, you can get a few more miles with a dingleball rering.

However, how's that going to make oil pressure where there is none now? Can't dingleball the crank.

You’ve obviously never seen my work
Seriously though, the crank and bearings will be dealt with as needed

[modok]

Measure it with a dial bore gauge.

[hoodeng]

If you are going to reuse the bore without machining ,get a set of ridge dodger rings, even though you can barely feel the ridge it is still there and matches the worn top ring that is still in it. A new ring in a ridged bore will get damaged fairly quickly.Conversley you could cut the ridge with a ridge cutter but i have seen them leave marks where the top ring would travel.
ACL have made ridge dodging ring sets , i don't know if they make one for your diameter and section.

cheers.

[Dave Koehler]

Check Travis post count before he posts again. I think we have a clue where this project is headed.

[Newold1]

My professional opinion - NOPE!

[travis]

Check Travis post count before he posts again. I think we have a clue where this project is headed.

I’m not sure what you mean. No funny business here...it was a serious question. Where is this project heading??

[travis]

If you are going to reuse the bore without machining ,get a set of ridge dodger rings, even though you can barely feel the ridge it is still there and matches the worn top ring that is still in it. A new ring in a ridged bore will get damaged fairly quickly.Conversley you could cut the ridge with a ridge cutter but i have seen them leave marks where the top ring would travel.
ACL have made ridge dodging ring sets , i don't know if they make one for your diameter and section.

cheers.

Thanks for the suggestion...I’ve never heard of those rings before but will take a look.

I’m really on the fence about trying to cut the ridge. My cutter does leave marks and none I’ve seen cut very smoothly. I’ve certainly built some very low buck deals with cylinder walls worse than this, but I’d like this to be a bit better than that.

[modok]

If it needs a ridge reamer to get the pistons out, then it needs to be bored anyway.

How big is the hole?
Measure the hole, and then you know

How big is the ridge?
measure it

10 minute procedure.

[travis]

If it needs a ridge reamer to get the pistons out, then it needs to be bored anyway.

How big is the hole?
Measure the hole.
It's so simple!

Can't measure a hole?
then what the heck you doin?
Take it to somebody who can.

I measured a few earlier...couldn’t do it right now though 4.005 to 4.010 about an inch down in the hole

[modok]

She's clapped out.

You COULD go ahead and ridge ream, and carefully get a piston out, and find out the ring grooves are worn out, then what? You need new pistons anyway.
Nobody is going to re-machine your pistons for wider rings and knerl the skirts, it's not 1975 anymore, and good thing, pistons are cheap now, CNC machined with PCD

[travis]

She's clapped out.

You COULD go ahead and ridge ream, and carefully get a piston out, and find out the ring grooves are worn out, then what? You need new pistons anyway.
Nobody is going to re-machine your pistons for wider rings and knerl the skirts, it's not 1975 anymore, and good thing, pistons are cheap now, CNC machined with PCD

That was going to be a major determining factor anyway...I just didn’t get that far today. And most likely the pistons are thoroughly worn out as well.

Oh well...I needed to do something about the 7.9-1 compression anyway

[GARY C]

Would you prefer being bored or infected?

If it cleans up ok then run it you can always go further in the future.

[Dave Koehler]

She's clapped out.

You COULD go ahead and ridge ream, and carefully get a piston out, and find out the ring grooves are worn out, then what? You need new pistons anyway.
Nobody is going to re-machine your pistons for wider rings and knerl the skirts, it's not 1975 anymore, and good thing, pistons are cheap now, CNC machined with PCD

Funny you should mention the ring spacers and skirt knurling. I had a couple of mechanics that flipped cars on the side.
Dingle berry, ring spacers and knurl the crap out of the skirts. It always annoyed me anyway. I sold off the knurler but told them I sold off both. Boy, were they upset. I always felt I saved an unsuspecting buyer some grief.

You are correct, by the 70s there was zero need for any of that. That and valve guide knurling. That stuff kind of worked in the 40s and 50s and stubbornly hung around through the 60s. It took a while for the light bulb to come on in many corners of the world.

I kept that perfect circle ring spacer tool. I had a cutter made to 1/16 diameter. I used it to clean up pinched rings on my blown engine from time to time at the track.