I am getting ready to put new piston rings onto my M696 pistons and need some advice on the cylinders. The cylinder walls still have the original cross-hatching pattern, and it looks pretty good. But when you install new rings... should you always hone the cylinder walls first, even if the existing cross-hatch looks fine?
I know new rings need a properly roughed surface to seat correctly, and that's the whole point of honing but I worry about unnecessarily taking away material if the original finish is still there. Should I just install the new rings as is and risk them not seating well or is a light hone always the right step for ring replacement? What is the standard practice when the factory cross-hatch is still visible anyway?
I know new rings need a properly roughed surface to seat correctly, and that's the whole point of honing but I worry about unnecessarily taking away material if the original finish is still there. Should I just install the new rings as is and risk them not seating well or is a light hone always the right step for ring replacement? What is the standard practice when the factory cross-hatch is still visible anyway?
