Srx cylinders: To hone or not to hone

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JERSEYJOE

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Conflicting opinions on SRX cylinders. I have 3 mint low ,mileage ones. Should I just carb clean them until spotless and run them or is there a way to hone them. I have brush research 240 and 400 grit ball hones in many sizes. Can or should the cylinder be honed? On my other SRX cylinders I just cleaned them and have not had issues.
 

If your replacing the rings you can hone them. It brings the crosshatching back to help with break in. Don't use a ball hone it could chip the nikasil around the ports. Use a regular flex hone. Unless there is excessive carbon build up at the top of the cyl then not necessary if not replacing rings. That cross hatch wears off within about 20 minutes of running.

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These cylinders should not be honed. A hone does nothing but plug up the grooves. Same as a scotch brite pad, they also plug them up. With nikasil cylinders just a good cleaning with carb or break cleaner and wipe out with lint free wrag till it wipes clean. You couldn't make cross hatch marks in nikasil with any kinda hone if you wanted to. If you did you would wreck the cylinder. I saw a awesome video on you tube about nikasil cylinders and I will see if I can find it.
 
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Well... There are flex hones designed for honing nikasil specifically. Not for removing material but to "deglaze" the cylinder and bring back the original cross hatch pattern. The cross hatch doesnt just help to break the ring in, it also is responsible for holding oil on the cylinder wall. I posted about this a while back and ended up doing quite a bit of research on the subject. I have personally honed countless nikasil bores with out problems. It's still so widely debated but IMO, I still think it's the right thing to do. On the other hand, i've never broke a motor in with out deglazing it so maybe it is pointless?

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Youllbe2nd said:
Well... There are flex hones designed for honing nikasil specifically. Not for removing material but to "deglaze" the cylinder and bring back the original cross hatch pattern. The cross hatch doesnt just help to break the ring in, it also is responsible for holding oil on the cylinder wall. I posted about this a while back and ended up doing quite a bit of research on the subject. I have personally honed countless nikasil bores with out problems. It's still so widely debated but IMO, I still think it's the right thing to do. On the other hand, i've never broke a motor in with out deglazing it so maybe it is pointless?

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I think this will be a subject of debate till the end of time. I have not rebuilt as many engines as you have by the sounds of it but have done a few now. I've never had a problem with seating rings doing it my way either. So to each their own I guess. And with all the reading I've done I still don't understand what anyone's doing by "deglazing" a cylinder. Were talking metal on metal at up to 8000 rpms for thousands of miles, what kinda glaze could form in these conditions? The crosshatch is not going to wear away under normal conditions ànd when it does the cylinder is out of spec anyway. Maybe I don't know what I'm talking about? Either way all good and Joe will have to make his own opinion on the subject.
 
Well... There are flex hones designed for honing nikasil specifically.
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There are hones that can be used on Nikasil, but most home shops don't have access to the proper hone or knowledge on how to use one. Jeff Slavens gives a good explanation in his video.
 
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Good video. I'm thinking if the nickasil is porous, the oil will work it's way into the cylinder wall to help with lubrication and keep it cool. Maybe the cast iron cylinders need a cross hatch because they're not porous?? So the hatch will hold the oil on the cylinder wall. Don't really know what I'm talking about, just thinking out loud! Lol
 
Be careful what you read on the internet. The video above provides some conflicting bullshit info.

The first thing he said was that the coating was sprayed onto the cylinder. I knew he was in trouble when he said that. When looking at a cylinder it looks as though its been sprayed as seen around the transfer ports. Instead its electro plated in a tank with solution and suspended nickel particals that electrically adhere to the cylinders. He does go on to say diamond honing. In fact the manufacturers like US Chrome and Millennium do final sizing with diamond honing machines. I sent five 780BB cylinders to US Chrome two years ago for honing. They looked beautiful when they came back.
---mac---
 
All good info but I think I'll leave it alone. I have done a lot of 2 stroke Yamaha ring replacements where the cylinder looked fine and had ZERO problems, so I'll just clean it and send it.
 
He does go on to say diamond honing. In fact the manufacturers like US Chrome and Millennium do final sizing with diamond honing machines. I sent five 780BB cylinders to US Chrome two years ago for honing. They looked beautiful when they came back.
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Before diamond honing, Millennium and US Chrome measure the piston diameter and hone to the proper clearance. They measure to 0.0001's and not 0.001's. Most hobbyists don't have access measuring equipment that accurate.
 
The regular spring loaded 3 stone hone you get at any auto parts store. Would I go out and purposely buy one for one job....probably not. But I've got a few of them so I use them.
 
Jeff what is meant by the term deglazing? I've tore a number of top ends down anywhere from 3- almost 9 thousand miles and the cylinders have been spotless? Depending what you read (on internet, if its on the internet it must be true LOL) they say deglazing/honing is not needed and is a old school thing. The new nikasil cylinders regardless of how they are done, plated sprayed whatever don't need anything but a good cleaning. I guess I'm confused on what the hone is really doing if anything that a rag and carb cleaner is not?
 
The glaze is the actual wearing out of the cross hatch or the sort of smoothing out of the roughness of the cylinder. The glaze doesn't really effect anything, other than break in and the ability to hold oil in the top end during break in. I've checked cyls after running for 20 mins and they are already glazed over. I use the same as staggs. 30$ unit purchased from auto parts store. 240 grit aluminum oxide or "medium" grit. I put it on my mill and hone for 30 seconds at a time and measure in between each run. Then I clean the bores like a mother******. After honing there is a clear visible difference in the nikasil and a nice looking cross hatch pattern. It also feels rougher to the touch. I'm only speaking from personal experience and what makes sense in my backyard hack brain. I wish I knew the actual science behind it. Wish I knew if I am wasting my time haha

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