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 The Honda
D-series was a family of four-cylinder, in-line engines with displacement
ranges between 1.2 and 1.7 liters. From 1984 to 2005, compact cars such as the
Honda Civic featured fuel-efficient D-series blocks in SOHC and DOHC versions. Generally
reliable but hardly powerful, these lightweight aluminum engines can be modified
with high-compression pistons to increase power and improve performance.
Powerplants such as the 1.5-liter D-15 can also be torn down
and rebuilt to extend the life of older automobiles such as the 1991 Honda
Civic. Such was the case with The_Acid_Beaver, a hobbyist and Honda enthusiast who
shared his engine restoration story with D-series.org,
an on-line community for automotive technicians and do-it-yourself (DIY) engine
mechanics.
Rebuilding a Honda D-15 Engine
When the engine in his parents' Civic "died" from unknown
causes, The_Acid_Beaver bought a used D-15 and rebuilt it. After hot tanking
the head and mounting the block on an engine stand in his garage, the mechanic inspected the cylinders and
pistons. The bores "aren't in the best shape," he reported, "as two of the
cylinders were left open to the elements because the spark plugs were not left
installed".
Pulling the pistons revealed additional issues with "rust
and muck" in the bores. Wisely, the amateur engine builder then asked "many
knowledgeable people" about whether to recondition
the cylinders or scrap his junkyard find altogether. "Each and every one
said that good honing will take care of the rust and anything else left in the
bore," he explained.
Choosing and Using Engine Hones
For superior cylinder honing, the Honda mechanic chose the Flex-Hone tool from
Brush Research Manufacturing (BRM). Built with a stiff metal stem and flexible
nylon filaments, the BRM engine hone produces the optimum surface finish in any
type or size cylinder. Self-centering and self-aligning to the bore, the
Flex-Hone features abrasive globules that also make the tool self-compensating
for wear.
Versatile and easy-to-handle, BRM's cylinder honing tool can
be used with handheld electric drills like the 18-volt Milwaukee Power-Plus
that The_Acid_Beaver borrowed from his father. Before honing the D-15 engine's four
cylinders, however, the mechanic applied a generous amount of lubricant to the
BRM brush tool. "It floats all the gunk away from the cylinder walls," he
explained.
Honing the Cylinder Walls
With the ball hone spinning, the mechanic inserted the
flexible honing tool into the first cylinder. As BRM's Flex-Hone
Resource Guide explains, 700 RPM are recommended for the 3-inch brush tool
that The_Acid_Beaver used. Through a low-temperature abrading process, flexible
honing improves surface finish and produces an ideal cross-hatch pattern with
oil-retaining grooves for optimum lubrication.
After honing each bore, The_Acid_Beaver washed the engine
block with hot, soapy water and ensured that the cylinder walls were clean. Satisfied
that his cleanup efforts passed "the white glove test," the mechanic lubricated
the bores and completed the project. Although this amateur engine builder once
"had some doubts" about cylinder
honing, using the Flex-Hone tool made him a believer out of him.
Author's Note: This CR4 blog entry originally
appeared in the BRM
Flex-Hone Blog.
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