55
Disassembly/Inspection and Service
24 690 34 Rev. D
KohlerEngines.com
Honing
Detail
A
A
23°-33° Crosshatch
NOTE: Kohler pistons are custom-machined to exacting
tolerances. When oversizing a cylinder, it should
be machined exactly 0.25 mm (0.010 in.) or 0.50
mm (0.020 in.) over new diameter (refer to
Speci
fi
cations). A corresponding oversize Kohler
replacement piston will then
fi
t correctly.
While most commercially available cylinder hones can
be used with either portable drills or drill presses, use
of a low speed drill press is preferred as it facilitates
more accurate alignment of bore in relation to crankshaft
crossbore. Honing is best accomplished at a drill speed
of about 250 RPM and 60 strokes per minute. After
installing coarse stones in hone, proceed as follows:
1. Lower hone into bore and after centering, adjust so
stones are in contact with cylinder wall. Use of a
commercial cutting-cooling agent is recommended.
2. With lower edge of each stone positioned even with
lowest edge of bore, start drill and honing process.
Move hone up and down while resizing to prevent
formation of cutting ridges. Check size frequently.
3. When bore is within 0.064 mm (0.0025 in.) of
desired size, remove coarse stones and replace
them with burnishing stones. Continue with
burnishing stones until bore is within 0.013 mm
(0.0005 in.) of desired size and then use
fi
nish
stones (220-280 grit) and polish bore to its
fi
nal size.
A crosshatch should be observed if honing is done
correctly. Crosshatch should intersect at
approximately 23°-33° off horizontal. Too
fl
at an
angle could cause rings to skip and wear
excessively, and too steep an angle will result in high
oil consumption.
4. After resizing, check bore for roundness, taper, and
size. Use an inside micrometer, telescoping gauge,
or bore gauge to take measurements. These
measurements should be taken at 3 locations in
cylinder–at top, middle, and bottom. There are 2
measurements that should be taken (perpendicular
to each other) at all 3 locations.
Clean Cylinder Bore After Honing
Proper cleaning of cylinder walls following boring and/
or honing is very critical to a successful overhaul.
Machining grit left in cylinder bore can destroy an engine
in less than one hour of operation after a rebuild.
Final cleaning operation should always be a thorough
scrubbing with a brush and hot, soapy water. Use a
strong detergent capable of breaking down machining
oil while maintaining a good level of suds. If suds break
down during cleaning, discard dirty water and start again
with more hot water and detergent. Following scrubbing,
rinse cylinder with very hot, clear water, dry it completely,
and apply a light coating of engine oil to prevent rusting.
Measuring Piston-to-Bore Clearance
Piston Detail
A
Model
Dimension A
CH682
13 mm (0.5118 in.)
CH732
6 mm (0.2362 in.)
CH742
CH752
NOTE: Do not use a feeler gauge to measure piston-to-
bore clearance–it will yield inaccurate
measurements. Always use a micrometer.
Before installing piston into cylinder bore, it is
necessary clearance be accurately checked. This step
is often overlooked, and if clearances are not within
speci
fi
cations, engine failure will usually result.
Use following procedure to accurately measure piston-
to-bore clearance:
1. Use a micrometer and measure diameter of piston
above bottom of piston skirt and perpendicular to
piston pin.
2. Use an inside micrometer, telescoping gauge, or
bore gauge and measure cylinder bore. Take
measurement approximately 63.5 mm (2.5 in.) below
top of bore and perpendicular to piston pin.
3. Piston-to-bore clearance is difference between bore
diameter and piston diameter (step 2 minus step 1).