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Putting my race motor back together(440 block) and will be replacing the rings. Can I hone my own cylinders to ensure that My rings seat or will the machine shop do a much better job?
Where can I get a good ball hone to do the job?
Thanks MIke

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a ball hone is nothing more than a glaze breaker and a hone will help ring seal by giving the proper cross hatch and surface finish, I personally wouldn't ball hone but I am sure someone is going to me for saying that, and another is going to say "that's all I ever do", personal preference I suppose.

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Sure you can. Of course that doesn't mean you'll get the result you're looking for. a lot depends on the current condition of the cylinders (taper, wear, straightness top to bottom etc.) and your experience level to get a decent cross hatch finish that's suitable for the rings you're going to use.
Yes, a machinist will do a better job.

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I invested in this years ago to be able to do sleeves in the block at the race track.

Ball hone won't straighten or improve the roundness.

To use this hone you need:

a bore gauge. a badass drill, gloves, big arms, strong back and lot's of honing oil.

I setup a gravity feed for my honing oil, I have used mostly AW 32 10 weight hydraulic oil and it don't get reused, goes on the ground on trays.
I have also used Goodson oil and did not see any difference.

I have done pretty many street engines now with it also, does a good job for me and keeps me out of those terrible machine shops.

Years ago I agreed to buy a CK-10 from a used machine dealer here in town. I gave him a small down payment and then waited like over a year for him to get it out of some shop to sell to me.

Before that could happen I bought my first BAE blown hemi which cost 3X as much as the hone was going to cost. So I never bought the hone because I was too busy and tapped out racing.

So I settled for this hand held hone which works for me.

I'm sure a real shop hone operated by one those evil machinist would be better, but I'm too cheap with my time to wait on a machine shop, I like control.
I realize a ball hone would be good to use after a real hone although I never have.

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Yes, a machinist will do a better job.

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Yes, a machinist will do a better job.

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That all depends on the machinist doing the job , remember that 383 I sent to you ???

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You made me feel bad a while back because I don't have a torque plate.

Still don't but would not mind one.

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Sure you can. Of course that doesn't mean you'll get the result you're looking for. a lot depends on the current condition of the cylinders (taper, wear, straightness top to bottom etc.) and your experience level to get a decent cross hatch finish that's suitable for the rings you're going to use.
Yes, a machinist will do a better job.

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Sure you can. Of course that doesn't mean you'll get the result you're looking for. a lot depends on the current condition of the cylinders (taper, wear, straightness top to bottom etc.) and your experience level to get a decent cross hatch finish that's suitable for the rings you're going to use.
Yes, a machinist will do a better job.

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I invested in this years ago to be able to do sleeves in the block at the race track.

Ball hone won't straighten or improve the roundness.

To use this hone you need:

a bore gauge. a badass drill, gloves, big arms, strong back and lot's of honing oil.

I setup a gravity feed for my honing oil, I have used mostly AW 32 10 weight hydraulic oil and it don't get reused, goes on the ground on trays.
I have also used Goodson oil and did not see any difference.

I have done pretty many street engines now with it also, does a good job for me and keeps me out of those terrible machine shops.

Years ago I agreed to buy a CK-10 from a used machine dealer here in town. I gave him a small down payment and then waited like over a year for him to get it out of some shop to sell to me.

Before that could happen I bought my first BAE blown hemi which cost 3X as much as the hone was going to cost. So I never bought the hone because I was too busy and tapped out racing.

So I settled for this hand held hone which works for me.

I'm sure a real shop hone operated by one those evil machinist would be better, but I'm too cheap with my time to wait on a machine shop, I like control.
I realize a ball hone would be good to use after a real hone although I never have.

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Those AN style hones are great tools in the right, experienced hands. In the hands of a novice they'll totally screw up a cylinder in a hurry. And yes, get ready for a workout if you ever go that route.

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Yes, a machinist will do a better job.

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That all depends on the machinist doing the job , remember that 383 I sent to you ???

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John, that 383 was one of the worst hone jobs I've ever seen. If I recall there was more than a few thousandth's of taper and out of round in that one. That was a tricky one to bring back to straight, round bores without going to the next full oversize.

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Yes, a machinist will do a better job.

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That all depends on the machinist doing the job , remember that 383 I sent to you ???

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You made me feel bad a while back because I don't have a torque plate.

Still don't but would not mind one.

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Yes, a machinist will do a better job.

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That all depends on the machinist doing the job , remember that 383 I sent to you ???

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John, that 383 was one of the worst hone jobs I've ever seen. If I recall there was more than a few thousandth's of taper and out of round in that one. That was a tricky one to bring back to straight, round bores without going to the next full oversize.

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