Glaze busting tools

[techbod]

Anyone got a flexhone, and can comment on its performance? I'm looking for an 'up to' 83mm, 240 grit. All the ones listed on ebay are shipped from the US, the UK supplied ones are at least twice if not three times the price, so if I'm going to try and import one I'd better be sure its what I want.

The three legged sort are much easier, and cheaper, to get hold of in the UK - but are they as good? http://www.amazon.co.uk/Draper-56246-51 ... B0001K9WDA for example.

(Or can anyone support the contentious (!?) alternative view on why I shouldn't glaze bust when just fitting new rings, (its the only option at the moment, no rebores possible.) I found this link, which tends to fly in the face of popular opinion on the need for glaze busting: http://www.snowvalley.20m.com/bikes/dnthone.htm Ho humm.)

[adamwilkinson]

The honing tool i use was from a local motorfactor, possibly Halfords but cant remember. Its a 3 legged one, stick it in the chuck of a battery drill, add a little lubrication and away you go. I've always used a medium speed and made sure not to stay in one place but keep it moving up and down the bore - apologies if im teaching you to suck eggs.

http://toolstoday.co.uk/shop.php?sec=pr ... CH51%2F177 this is the one i have, worked perfectly fine for me on our competition engine

[erictharg]

Second what Adam says. Flexhone is fine, but offers no real advantage over a regular stone hone unless your bore is way off round and parallel. Go easy and only use it enough to get that cross hatch over the whole surface - ideally at 30 to 45 deg to horizontal. For conventional iron rings you do need to break the surface as it's essential the new rings bed into the bore.

[techbod]

Thanks for the replies. I'm obviously being over cautious about this refresh as I am already on the maximum oversize everything for standard pistons/rings - after this it suddenly get very expensive as I have to go to forged which isn't going to happen at the moment.

I was originally going to use the 3 legged type, but hunting round various forums on the interweb bought up the flexhone as an alternative and I wondered if there was any advantage in it hence the question.

I'm hopefully being lent a cylinder bore micrometer so I will know exactly what state they are in. Just on a visual inspection though they look to be good. No obvious lips or ridges to be felt with my fingernail and hone marks are still very obvious from last rebuild, which is why I just want to give it the lightest 'deglaze' I can get away with.