Main cap question (align hone/bore)
 

Alright, so I'm building a b18b block. I installed GSR arp main studs, and a GSR girdle using mains 234 from a GSR (never been align bored either)

My block is a straight B and my crank is a straight 2 with I believe one of them set as a 1 (i think #5 is a 1, or maybe 3) anyways, this means that my block bores are very small, and my crank journals are very large. I can feel a lip on the mains from the GSR block (indicating that they are actually all A's meaning, even smaller than mine!

Based off this, I think that I should ask the machine shop to simply hone the bores back into round, rather than having them do a full on bore? I know adding the arp studs (torqued to 75lbs, arp says to do it to 80 in the sheet it came with, but that just seems NUTS)

I haven't checked to see how the crank feels with my old bearings, but I know they would be out of round (but which way do they go out of round? My brain says that there would be more clearance on the sides, and tighter up and down, is this correct?)

I search and search and all I find are arguments about boring and honing the mains on honda blocks, some say hell no, others say hell yes, this crap.

Being that my clearances from the factory are very small, Should I just ask the shop to do an align bore back to the factory size (minimizing the amount of material actually removed) By doing this I'm wondering if I might get lucky, and that the amount of material that is removed is minimal at best, allowing me to retain the use of stock bearings.

The only reason for doing the align hone is because I'm now using caps 234 from a GSR engine (which are smaller than mine, and I believe are A bearings) and because I'm using ARP studs torqued to 75lbs (thus altering the shape of the bores themselves)

So, based on the above, should I have the mains simply align honed back to roundness, or have them bored using an oem size (I suppose both methods would produce the same outcome, I just wanted a second opinion)

Regardless the block still has OEM sized journals, they're just out of round now, and now have tighter main caps for 234

you should never switch main caps!!

In order to use the oem gsr girdle, do u have to use gsr main caps?

More trouble than it's worth. I seriously doubt you're shooting for over 800-900hp. Stick with the stock main caps and get rid of the main studs, they will be of no benefit to you. Safe yourself a headache. If you do keep going with it, ask how much it is to get it aligned honed and your going to have an even harder time finding somebody that's willing to do it on a Honda block.

It will most likely fail. I've yet to see anyone successfully align hone main bores on a Honda block


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They need to be bored, regardless the block I have seems to be out of round and would need to be bored anyways. No on in az has the proper tooling, so ill probably save this block and my girdle setup till I have money to send it to Erl performance to get sleeves.

Guess im gonna rip my old engine apart and check it out

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ERL can align bore that ....they deff have the equipment to do it the right way!!!!!