honing nikasil

[SIXTEEN QUAD]

can you hone a nikasil bore:confused:

[plkmonster2]

I would think not. You would most likely ruin the nickel finish.

[jt911]

Just install new rings and go. No honing required.

[F-16Guy]

Originally posted by jt911
Just install new rings and go. No honing required.
Right. You can't hone nikasil, it's too hard. It will out last many pistons and rings.

[SIXTEEN QUAD]

just got off the phone with trinity they said yes you can hone nikasil just wanted to let everyone know

[deathman53]

thats news to me, I don't see why you would want to, that stuff is indistructable(compared to a steel sleave). I was always told you can't.

[nakomis0]

I also thought I heard you could hone nikasil....

[cals400ex]

i thought it could be bored and replated but i really didn't know.

[F-16Guy]

I know the SEVERAL (ha ha) times I rebuilt my Kawasucki, The instructions that came with the piston said do not hone cylinders plated with Nikasil. It's some pretty hard stuff. You can bore a Nikasil'd cylinder, but it has to be chemically stripped, bored, and plated. It cost me about $275 to have my KX250 cylinder stripped and recoated when I had to have it welded.

[UglyMotha™]

Originally posted by deathman53
thats news to me, I don't see why you would want to, that stuff is indistructable(compared to a steel sleave). I was always told you can't.




why not, how else would a new set of rings seat

[bradrenea]

The rings will never seat if cylinder is glazed at all. I just installed a new piston in my CR250 and here is a direct quote from the Wiseco instructions
Cylinder Preparation for plated cylinders
"Includes nickel ceramic coatings (Nikasil), chrome, electrofusion, and boron composite. If the plated cylinder is in good condition, honing MAY not be required. If degalazing is necessary, do not use a ball hone. Use a rigid or brush type daimond hone."

If all else fails, read your instructions!:D

[wilkin250r]

To be honest, I've never rebuilt a nikasil cylinder, but I do know a thing or two about physics.

The reason you hone a cylinder is to create tiny little ridges. These ridges act like a file, and they wear down your rings. This is too eliminate any imperfections on the edges of the rings and they create a good seal. By filing them, it ensures that seat properly against the cylinder wall.

Now, these little ridges aren't very big, and they're not very strong, so they wear down quickly. Basically, while they are scraping against the rings, the rings are scraping back and wearing them down. Eventually, the rings get seated properly, and these ridges are worn down properly, and you get a nice good seal on the rings.

If the ridges stay there forever, they would constantly be scraping and filing your rings down to nothing. So, it seems really unlikely that ,even in Nikasil, the ridges are there forever. Otherwise your rings would be worn down to nothing very quickly.

Now, if we assume that those ridges get worn down, then it seems to me that you would NEED to hone your cylinder again the next time you changed your rings, or else your rings don't get seated properly.

Like I said, I don't have any direct experience, so I could be wrong. :confused:

[jt911]

According to a big bore company, there is no need to hone the nikasil cylinder.

[Antnee77]

Yeah many say you don't have to, but then how do the rings seat??? :confused:

[EPDP99]

you should always hone. If not the rings wont seat. Not only are the grooves to helps the rings seat properly they are to make some oil retain on the cylinder walls to lubricate the piston as it moves. Ever hear about oil retention when the do any kind of work like that. Brand new pistons and rings on a cylinder wall that has no oil on it. Especially when it get so hot due to the great ammount of friction produced during break on new items. not good at all. think about it.