Alright, I've got a cast crank 225 on a stand being rebuilt to swap into the dart when I get the frame pulled. Here's the situation:

Its a re-ring, compression bump, cam change, head port/polish, etc.

I have both cast and chrome-moly rings for it.

I can and have rough honed the cylinder walls, and they are in pretty good condition.

If I use the chrome-moly rings, the cylinders have to be smooth honed, correct?

If so, I might as well have them mill the head and block both (no facilities can mill the block in town). Or should I use the iron rings, have the head only milled (can have that done in town) and assemble it now, and cheaper. (Already have bearings and everything else)

Are chrome-moly rings really that much better than iron?

Are the rings chrome faced or moly faced? They are different. The Hastings rings web site has guidance on cylinder wall finish. None should really be rough.

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Joshua

Josh is correct here, I have done a hand hone on a rering and 500 grit is the stones for the moly set, a bit less for the regular rings (none of these should be rough honed- i.e. 100-150 grit)... The other worrysome part is making sure that in the process you don't wipe out the bore taper.

-D.Idiot

Go iron. And if you can find them file fit rings. Hyper pistons take different clearances. Too tight and you will crack the ring land off the piston.

Did you mic for cylinder taper?

Here's my story. I bought a junk yard 360 for my van. It had been rebuilt at .040. It had a vacuum leak which burned the #2 exhaust valve. It literally ate the valve. I mean munched it up and spit the remnants out the tail pipe! The head was ruined.

We hand honed the cylinders and checked it with a new ring and feeler gauge. ( I didn't have time to find file fit iron rings) We took it down as far as we could within spec. That was January 2001. The engine has 160K or more on it since the rebuild. That grossing 5800-6500lbs with me spanking it and cracking open the secondaries when ever I feel the need.

It has always had a little piston slap on #2. I am not worried one bit!

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'72 Duster 198 stock cam, 3:23's Hookers on jack stands for 8 years in the driveway
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