Scratch in Cylinderwall, Help! :(

Hi there everyone.

Well, A piston ring in my 352 decided to ruin the last days of my vacation, While i turned the engine over (By hand, On the stand) one of the rings in Cylinder #2 cracked and made a couple of ugly scrathes in the cylinderwall before i noticed, It´s deep enogh so that i can feel them when pulling my fingers across them, But you dont get stuck in them with the nails or so, But i can feel and certainly see them.

Now! Is there no chanse!? I became a father 1.5 weeks ago, So there is no money for an overbore and new pistons etc [img]/forums/images/smiles/icon_rolleyes.gif[/img]

I just planned to change bearings and refresh the cylinderwalls, Not for this to happen.. If i put everything back together with new rings etc, Will it work or is it useless, Will the cylinder drop all the compression etc?

Help.. [img]/forums/images/smiles/icon_frown.gif[/img]

Picture of the cylinder..

Been there done that. Did not have hardened seats in 69 390 Camper special and on a 2000 mile trip ran out of lead additive. Ruined all the seats and valves. Scratched number 5 cylinder cylinder wall. I ran a hone through it and put it back together. Burnt oil on that cylinder at a quart to every 200 miles. Fouled the spark plug out every 1000 miles. Really wish i would have sleeved it at that time. If you have engine out go ahead and sleeve that cylinder and you wont have to bore and replace all those pistons. (assuming they are all in good shape) My engine only had 5000 miles and I was sick about it and sold the truck. Have wanted it back ever since. That was my last FE. Hoping for better luck with this one.
[addsig]

Seroiusly Andersson, I don't think you will have much to worry about. Take out that piston and pop on new rings.

If you have a cylinder hone hit it for about 5 to 10 seconds with some WD-40 as lube then clean it off and put the piston back in and go at it.

If you are useing cast rings they will likely conform to that scratch after a few hundred miles, if they are molly they will not, but, unless the scratch is deep, you will lose very little in the way of compression.

Just hit it with a hone REAL LIGHTLY then re-assemble with new rings.


FE

_________________
Signature contemplation still in legal process so as not to step on any toes... [img]/forums/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img]

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: FALCONAROUND on 1/3/07 6:07am ]</font>

Thank´s for the replys guys, It´s appriciated!
I´m giving it the night´s thought to see what i´ll do, I pulled all the pistons and the crank to have a looksee, Since everything else looks good, there are some turningedges down in the bottom of the cylinders, But that´s nothing right? I gave it a go with a cylinder hone, I can still feel the scratched area but not as much as before.. I´ll see tomorrow how it goes further.

By the way, How much can i go at it with the hone, Before it´s to much so the new rings/old pistons wont seal?

Thanks!

No more than a minute with the hone lubed and spinning abouty 700 rpm, I would think.
Your rings are still going to make compression but you want to stay as close to the original bore as you can.
How long was the ring broke? Was the engine running with the broken ring?
If it was NOT running with it and it just was turned over by hand I think you will be fine as it sit's, right now, maybe a few more seconds with the hone but not too long.
Then just fit the ring into the cylinder and measure the gap with a feeler gauge, let us know the gap in the ring 1/2" down the cyl and in the middle of the cyl.


FE

_________________
Signature contemplation still in legal process so as not to step on any toes... [img]/forums/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img]

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: FALCONAROUND on 1/3/07 8:32am ]</font>

Hi again.

Thanks for that extra info on the honing.. I´ll go at it again today, And order up new rings etc, Then i´ll measure it up when everything has arrived, It takes a while for things to get to me, But i´ll post here as soon as things are done.

The engine was NOT running, This acutally happened when i had the engine out, Turning the engine by hand.. I guess thats a bright moment in all of this? Haha..

Thanks again, And have a great day.

//Andersson.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: AnderssonsGalaxie on 1/3/07 4:31pm ]</font>

Had a 332 that someone decided to help me put together (neighbor's kid) with a screw driver while no one was around. Honed the scratch, couldn't feel it but still could see it. It never did use any oil. I realize the scratch is longer but will be nowhere as large as a ring gap. And if it does use some oil it always gives you the excuse to open it back up later and do some of the stuff you wanted to do in the first place.

If this is a real budget deal - and it appears to be - then hand hone away at it. I'm not a big fan of those flex hones, but you really have nothing to lose - other than a set of rings and some gaskets if it is an oil burner. You'll have to hone away forever to take any damaging/meaningful material from the bore with one of those - so no harm will be done by trying.

Odds are definitely in your favor - it always amazes me what these old motors can put up with....
[addsig]

Once again thank you guys.

And BarryR, I´ve been at it today again with one of thos hones that´s driven by a drill, I can still feel it, But not as much as before.

When you recomend hand honing, What size on the grits on the paper do you recomend me to use?

Have a great day everyone.