Flex-hone or pay the pros?

[Pilk]

I picked up my 2UZ short block last weekend and start the tear down this weekend. I'm going to have to decked professionally, but for the cylinder hone I keep seeing the Flex-hone product. I've never used one before and wonder if it's really all that it's cracked up to be. A professional hone will be around $200 on top of the deck and cleaning. But it looks like I can get a flex-hone for $30-50. That's a very significant savings. Plus I just like doing what I can myself. My goal is too boost this motor so I don't want to risk damaging the sleeves. Any anyone used this on a UZ? Any experience with this product at all? Other input?

 

[4U2QUIK]

Pay the professionals. just my .02c

 

[Zuffen]

Pay the pros.

A full rebuild is several thousand dollars and $200.00 is neither here not there in the scheme of things but it may mean a full rebuild later if it isn't right.

Are you planning on having the prop check the bore for uneven wear, oversize or ovalness?

 

[cribbj]

I would vote for paying the pros as well.

I've had recent experience with the FlexHone on an aluminum block engine, with wet aluminum liners, and it left tracks on the top flanges of the liners, which I wasn't expecting, or at all pleased with.

Brush Research are very clear about keeping the FlexHone rotating while inserting & extracting it from the cylinder bores, so on insertion, the balls will tend to beat up the deck of the block. So if you opt to go this way, make sure you have an old head gasket in place to protect the top deck. YMMV since you have an iron block 2UZ.

I would also recommend you "break in" a new FlexHone on a piece of similar sized pipe, as the balls of a brand new FlexHone tend to "shed" some of their abrasive. This shedding will dissipate after 20-30 strokes.

Lastly, in several of the YouTube demonstration videos, only an initial application of lubricating oil is shown for each cylinder honing, however I don't believe this initial coating is sufficient. Brush don't address this point in great detail, but do recommend that you keep the bores/hone well lubricated.

If you have the option, I'd put the block over a tank, and have a continuous flow of filtered, clean lubricating oil in each cylinder during the honing process, then clean the FlexHone after each cylinder.

 

[markstoys]

I usually encourage people who seem interested in DYI stuff--but this is one of those things that seems simple (and it sort of is), but is VERY easy to mess up. There are many ways this could go wrong--and you won't know for a few hundred or a thousand miles.

I have done it a few times on a pair of track only cars I had a few years ago--I blew up a few motors, so I refreshed a few Pick-a-Part motors. The first time I did it, I was prepared to swap the motor again if it didn't run right. Luckily for me, I didn't have any problems.

So if you are prepared for a 'do over' when you have low compression in one or more cylinders due to bad ring seating--then go for it.

If you want your motor to run right the first time, then pay the pros.

Mark

 

[Pilk]

I figured that would be the general consensus.
The motor is almost ready for machining. The tear-down went smoothly and internally it was in great shape.

The next step is machining, then with the proceeds from selling some of the bits I won't reuse on the car I'm going to invest in forged internals. I also have a big turbo Hyundai Beta motor in the works as well so these will happen side by side. That's going to slow the process a little, but that motor has been waiting way to long to be finished. The goal is to be done with both and have this one installed in the next 2 months. When I get a little more done on the chassis (hopefully this weekend) I'll start the build thread.

 

[Pilk]

Lack of edit button? "...next 12 months"
A big difference in time there

 

[BigKriss]

I on the other hand disagree somewhat here. The Lexus bores are usually in great shape. I would measure accurately and then decide where to go next. If ovality, taper and overall size are all good , I`d Flex-hone it. Agree on the lube comment , lots of lube required.
Be careful of "double " strokes at tdc and bdc as well.
White toilet paper or towels with auto trans fluid to clean afterwards though.When the white paper towels show no more residue, its clean.

 

[XR8tt]

I would use stone honer to the specs of new rings..