So going to give working on my b20 engine block a go(building a reliable B20V). My question is what brand of tool/tools do you guys use not looking to cheap out but I don't have 500$ for a snap on torque wrench lol.

here's my list of what I don't own and I think I'll need.

digital dial bore gauge
ring filer
rod bolt stretch gauge
machinist micrometres
ring compressor
plasti gauge(s) ?

any estimate on what i'm looking at price wise ?

TIA guys !

 

Bore gauge for cylinder bore and for journal bores. No need for plastigage. Get bore gauges with a dial instead of digital and you will thank me later.

 

i can vouch for that, especially if you have OCD LOL

 

Feeler gauges

 

What are some decent bore gauges that are priced fair? Are there any u would recommend?

 

None that are worth anything. I bought a cheap $100 digital bore gauge on ebay and it was junk.

You can look on ebay/craigslist just make sure its decent and a name brand

I have a mitutoyo that I paid like $500 for (with a ring gauge) and also have a starrett bore micrometer. Together they've done everything I've ever needed to check. When you are worried about smaller increments than .0005 on bearing clearances you want to make sure you have something decent. Buy once, cry once and all that especially if you plan on building engines in the future.

Don't worry about plastigauge and spring for the electric ring filers. You will waste the first one and possibly two rings you do so practice with it first to get a feel for how much material is removed each time. I bought a "procomp" (wouldn't trust them with anything in a motor but tools are meh) electric ring filer and it works fine once you get the mounting setup sorted out. It comes packaged loose just FYI.

That particular model is around $200 and saves a TON of time over a cheaper manual deal.

 

We use Sunnen bore gauges, but we are building engines for a living. You don't need something of that caliber to put engines together at home. Honestly if you are doing this as a hobby, you can get something mid grade at Wholesale Tool or online somewhere and just take very good care of it. Check it against a good known gauge and get a feel for using it, and periodically check it against a good one. In the end, its more the magician than the wand.

 

^This. I have one that was under $100 and it works just fine for everything I've used it for. It's 10x better than snap gauges and a regular mic... I think I got mine from MSC or one of the other budget machine tool places.

Edit: This is the one I have. As you can see, its the exact same as the $190 one from jegs.

No-name:
Jegs: http://www.jegs.com/i/B-B/128/40180/10002/-1

 

As long as they read to ten thousandths, you keep them clean, treat them well and calibrated/checked against a bench mark, the cheaper ones will last for a hobby garage. I bought pretty much the same 2"-6" bore gauge set F22Master posted for $100 and my 0-4" mics for $140 from Summit Racing.

As mentioned above, it's more in how the tools are used.

 

I appriciate all information this has been very helpful !

 

Get a dial bore gauge that can measure down below 1.7" so you can do the rod big ends. I bought a fowler digital unit.
That's actually a lot cheaper than what I paid for that exact one a few years ago.

ARP tapered ring compressors are the way to go.

 

4piston .. are bore gauges really that important compared to plastigauges? I understand they are a lot more accurate, but if you are using ACL bearings (not Honda bearings), theres only a few selectable sizes right? sorry correct me if Im wrong...

 

Plastigauge is more of a secondary measurement. You should use a mic and a bore gauge to find your clearances, then double check it with plastigauge.

 

Beer...
Seriously a good torque wrench, micrometer, feeler gauges and plastigauge go a long ways. As 4piston said you don't need all snap on or top of the line, but a mid level grade will suit the hobby builder just fine.

 

Plastigage has no business in an engine shop. There's a difference between engine builders and engine assemblers. You get an exact measurement if you know how to use your mics and bore gauges. You also check to see if they are out of round with the bore gauge. Lots of blocks are out of round and need to be fixed. You can't assume that the guys that sleeved your block sent it back to you ready to assemble. You need one for the cylinders also...to see if they are straight and check wall clearance top to bottom and see how much variance you have. Will everything always be perfect, no, but its all about quality control and what you are willing to put your name on.

Can you assemble with plastigage. Yep. You can assemble without checking anything at all and it may go out and break a national record! You can also close your eyes and walk across an interstate and you may not get hit.

 

I've been using a Fowler dial bore gauge that reads .0001 along with a set of .0001 micrometers. Working well for me so far.

 

Beer