Hey guys...

I'm about to drop in my 426 piston... and reading the honda service manual- it says to coat the piston with a special type of lubricant.. I talked to my local honda shop- and he said don't use any lubricants- install it dry- and then crank the engine for about 5 seconds (with the switch OFF). He said the rings will seat much faster this way.

Has anyone ever done this? - or even heard about this?

 

big ring on bottom, chrome line up.......smaller ring on top.....and of course your oiling rings.....set your timing.....and as my dad says "dont screw it up son"

 

I've heard of this on 2 strokes but never a 4. I always used oil. But if it works then you can't argue with success.

 

A little coat of the engine oil works great so you can assemble things. I use oil on 2 strokes also, just makes it easier to put stuff together.

 

I'll probly get flamed for saying this but you shouldn't use oil to put the top end back together on a 2 stroke. All the oil the engine needs is found in the gas. I've seen first hand how 2 stroke engines put together with oil dont last as long as 2 stroke engines put together without.

 

that ones new to me...
can anyone explain the dry 2 stroke assembly to me? why would it be better and what could possibly be hurt by assembling your 2strokes topend with a coat of oil?

 

i wouldnt use iol to put the rings on what you do is give the entire piston a light coat of fresh motor oil and then give the entire piston sleeve a coat of oil this is what the honda factory service manual says

 

From my experience you get a lot more carbon build up when you assemble a 2 stroke engine wet. Considering that more oil is burnt then normal you'll get carbon. The rings don't last as long either. I can't explain exactly how this works but it's just from my own personal experiences. I've always used premixed gas to put it together ever since.

On a 4 stroke I put a light coat of oil on everything. Just enough to get everything to slide in there like it should.

 

You assemble a motor with premix?? Really?
I use the oil from premix, and just a little to help things along. I'm not talking about dunking the whole thing in a barrel, ya know, but I would never do an engine assembly dry.
The oil used for assembly is mixed down and used up in just a few revs in a 2 stroke.

 

Hey Brian,
I talked to a sprint car motor yesterday and he had never heard of this and obviously wouldn't suggest it in one of his motors. BUT, on a single cylinder, he thought this might be a neat trick that your honda service buddy has found. I wouldn't do it myself, unless I heard this same thing from three or four good racem otor builders, then I would probably try it. Just hearing it from one person, I don't think I would. Just because he works for Honda doesn't necessarily mean that he knows what he is doing. Don't get me wrong, he might be an incredible mechanic, who knows? I just think it is a risk that I wouldn't take on my race motor and know how much you have invested in this. Let someone else develope this technique and then try it when it is proven.

I can show you what a piston and rings look like when ran without oil for a short duration do to oil pump relief valve sticking open...it is sitting in my garage and happened when I blew a motor this year in GNCC, it isn't pretty.

Good Luck,
Nick