'ridge reamers'
Cargo Master
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,931
Likes: 12
From: SW Michigan
'ridge reamers'
I saw a post were someone mentioned a ridge reamer. Guys, don't even consider using one of these things. A ridge reamer is a good way to carve way too much metal out of the top of your bore. If you have so much wear in the bores that you feel a ridge at the top, your cylinders need to be bored oversize. I've seen lots of engines that had to go .060 or .080 over, when they could have been alright at at .030 if they had not been ridge reamed with too much enthusiasm. DF
Moderator
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 57,005
Likes: 2,750
From: Virginia
'ridge reamers'
In some cases you have to ridge ream or you can't get the piston out. It must be lack of knowledge on how to use one that's causing the trouble you are seeing. Or a fouled up cutter. The ones I have used start below the ridge on the cylinder bore. They rotate around on the bore causing no damage because the surface of the cutter is so large. It's the top edge of the cutter that cuts the ridge, not the the outside edge. I say all this because I went through the school of hard knocks myself.
Elder User
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 662
Likes: 0
From: CA
'ridge reamers'
Yep! A ridge reamer of quality, one that has guides or rollers are perfectly safe to use as you can't adjust the cut any wider then the good portion of the cylinder. True, any engine that needs to be reamed to get the pistons out is an excellent candidate for boring, but the ridge reamer exists for a reason.
Posting Guru
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,416
Likes: 4
From: PacNW
'ridge reamers'
Using any tool wrong can result is problems. You might as well say "Don't use ring compressors to install pistons because if you use them wrong you might break the rings." The correct way to get the pistons/rods out of the engine is to use a ridge reamer on the top of the cylinder and pop them out through the top of the engine. It's a simple process, just use the reamer the way it was intended and take your time. Run it around a couple of times, check the ridge with your finger then repeat if necessary. Remember the ridge doesn't have to be gone completely, just enough so you don't have to use a 5 lb sledge to push the piston/rod assemblies out. Err on the side of too much ridge as opposed to too little. The last engine I did, the pistons came out fairly easily and I was able to get away with only a .020 overbore.
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