I got my block back from machinist without him taking the "lip" off the top of the bore--I understand some of this material must be taken off so the rings don't hang up and get caught when pistons are being installed. What do people normally use? Also, how much material should be removed?

 

You can do it yourself with a tool called a ridge reamer. I used one a couple of times on some BMW engines and it worked well. Or you can re-hone with a dingle ball hone and it radius's the top edge pretty good by itself.

 

Do not use a ridge reamer or a ball hone! These will screw up your crosshatch (assuming your machine shop got that right). The best thing to do would be to take it back to the machine shop and have them do it as that should have been done in the first place. I never let a block out of the shop without chamfering the cylinders. The proper tool to use is called a chamfering cone which is just a big cone shaped even run band chucked up in a hand drill. If you really want to do it yourself just use a piece of fine sandpaper. But don't drag it in the cylinder walls and don't scratch the deck. Just knock the edge off and you should be alright.

 

The "ridge" is not built up material.The area below it is worn.The "ridge" is the original bore diameter.If you have a ridge in a honda then the block needs to be bored to the next oversize.Ridge reamers are one of the most dangerous tools in the wrong hands.I have had to go to the second oversize before because someone had used one on his block.

 

Thanks, but its not a ridge---I used this guy last year and he was quick, good work, and good prices, but this year he has another job and he only does the machine work on certain evenings--turns out since he travels so much with his job he barely had time to do any work--so I pretty much said I need it done by this past Friday or I will take it somewhere else. As soon as he was done boring and honing he gave me a call--otherwise I would have had to wait till Tuesday or Wednesday just to pick the block up--anyway he didn't radius the top of each cylinder after decking the block and boring and honing so I was just wondering how much I should do it with. I tried with a file but it seemed to be taking off too much material--so I have been sanding away and its coming out pretty good--its not visually "perfect" but I want to assemble this thing by Monday or Tuesday. Yeah, a ridge-reamer is for removing an old piston that you can't get out on a badly worn bore.