Q: Cylinder honing

Prior to honing, the cylinder has to be measured for any out-of-round condition. The service limit on out-of-round for your specific engine is .0005 inches. If out-of-round exceeds .0005 inches, which it probably does, the block has to be serviced at a machine shop. On a modern block, forget about even attempting to hone it at home. DIY honing is a waste of time, effort and money as honing is not what it used to be. Diamond cutting is now used and it is possible to plateau hone to ensure early and quick ring seating. If a cylinder is bad, the entire block should be serviced, and depending on exactly what the measurements are, the cylinders might have to be bored one size over and fitted with new pistons. To answer your question as to what service life the one cylinder will have if not serviced according to the instructions, that depends on how out of round the cylinder is. At minimum, with no cross hatch, there will be greatly accelerated ring wear, high friction, and high heat, due to the lack of an oil film for the rings to ride on. And, if out-of-round in the cylinder exceeds .0005 inches, the rings will never seat (conform to the cylinder) because the new rings are round but the cylinder is not. If you need a mechanic to assist you with the rebuild, or to obtain more details on this issue, please request service and the responding certified mechanic will help you. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic because we want you to make the most of your repair dollars and help you to get the best possible results.