Cylinder Ridge Reamer

When removing a piston from the engine block, it's best to remove the cylinder's ridge before removing the piston. Removing the ridge prevents damage to the piston ring groove lands during piston removal. The ridge occurs as the cylinder wall wears and appears just above the top of the compression ring. This wear leaves the area above ring travel unworn.

Use a ridge reamer to remove this ridge. Be careful because it's easy to remove too much material from the engine block. Follow the manufacturer's procedure and do this process in small increments, so valuable surface is not removed.

Honing the Cylinder Walls

Hone the cylinder walls to a smooth finish. Use a hone with stones or a flexible beaded hone to remove the glaze and restore the cylinder's finish. Move the hone up and down at a consistent speed to create a cross-hatch. When finished, carefully clean the cylinder and engine block with soap and water to remove any leftover debris.