while i have my head off im goin to pull the pistons and change the rings and hone the cylinders. but a ? i have to ask is how hard is it to drop the oil pan and take out the pistons?

 

Not hard if you have the tools and if you don't mind layin' on your back. Gotta drop the oil pan, oil pick-up, main girdle, take out the connecting rod bolts, and then the rod halfs should come out., then just push the pistons up from the bottom to the top so that they come out, and you're ready for your hone. To re-install, I recommend using a torque wrench and torque everything back to spec. Whole procedure shouldn't be too bad.