To Hone or not to Hone (and other questions)

aerojack7654 · Post by **aerojack7654** » Fri Jul 13, 2012 9:37 pm

Hi folks,
Been banging away on my '63 Dream, finally getting the thing back into shape after it's long sleep (been off the road since '78). It's looking a lot better than when I got it (see pic), but I had posted earlier about a smoking cylinder and whether I should open the engine up and check the rings. I got mixed responses, some saying I should do it now, others saying that the smoking would likely go away after the motor was run in. Well it appears that the fix it now people were right, I decided to take my chances and install the engine back unopened following the restoration, and after a good bit of running it is still seriously burning oil. I have since dropped the engine and opened it up - clean with nothing remarkable (the bike has less than 10k showing), but both oil rings shattered when I tried to remove them. My question (finally) is should I lightly hone the cylinders before reassembling, or just put everything back together with the new rings?

While I have some limited attention, I have another question for Dream owners - I bought some new tires with a modern tread and profile, not vintage. I noticed during my limited driving that the bike really wanted to tip into any turn inputs that I made, something that made for some difficult to coordinate turning. Would this behavior be a result of the non-original tread and profile? the tires that I put on have a much more rounded profile that the period tires, I was told by a seller that these would make the bike a lot more stable at higher speeds than the original tires - but the bike is very squirrely steering at this point. Any insights?

Thanks for your help!

Jack

mike in idaho · Post by **mike in idaho** » Sat Jul 14, 2012 10:09 am

Hone the cylinders. I've seen several engines re-ringed over the years, without honing, and every one of them had ring seating problems. I like to hone with a set of medium grit stones with lots of ATF for lubricant. Clean the cylinders real well afterward with hot water and detergent, solvent or gasolene will leave some of the grit particles still embedded in the cylinder walls. Put it together with everything well oiled, then turn it over several times while you wipe the excess oil off the piston tops and the upper cylinder walls. Try not to idle the engine very long after it's first started, you should jump on it and take a quick ride to seat the rings. A few quick trips around the block with some medium load acceleration through the gears should do nicely to seat the rings.

aerojack7654 · Post by **aerojack7654** » Sat Jul 14, 2012 1:42 pm

Thanks for the great advice Mike. That was my first notion, to hone the cylinders, but my Bill Silver manual does not say anything about it in the engine rebuild section, and not having ever rebuilt a motorcycle engine before, I was wondering of there was something I didn't know about. I guess engines are engines, and after having to take apart a Triumph TR3 engine again many years ago to hone the cylinders after a re-ringing didn't take, I should know better.

Thanks again for the insight!

Regards,
Jack

LOUD MOUSE · Post by **LOUD MOUSE** » Sat Jul 14, 2012 2:02 pm

I recommend you use a Ball Hone. ..........lm

aerojack7654 wrote:Thanks for the great advice Mike. That was my first notion, to hone the cylinders, but my Bill Silver manual does not say anything about it in the engine rebuild section, and not having ever rebuilt a motorcycle engine before, I was wondering of there was something I didn't know about. I guess engines are engines, and after having to take apart a Triumph TR3 engine again many years ago to hone the cylinders after a re-ringing didn't take, I should know better.

Thanks again for the insight!

Regards,
Jack

Hoosier Tom · Post by **Hoosier Tom** » Sat Jul 14, 2012 4:13 pm

If you can't find anything local

http://stores.ebay.com/Pixelman-Product ... 4340.l2563

This guy has 2 3/8 " and 2 1/2" Flex-Hones in both 240 and 320 grit

I've bought them from him in the past with no problems

HT

aerojack7654 · Post by **aerojack7654** » Sat Jul 14, 2012 5:52 pm

Already honed with my medium grit three bladed hone. All washed up and starting to reassemble, hope to get back in the frame tomorrow for a test run. I noticed that when I disaaembled the cylinders that the base gasket had some goo cementing it down. Any recommendations as to cementing ( or not cementing) the various gaskets? Bill Silver is not too specific about this in his manual

Thanks!