Torque Plate Honing, musing thereof...

[Shannon Boal]

Torque plate honing on a Sunnen Cylinder King type machine is the ultimate, as far as I know. Best cylinder taper and concentricity, piston fit, ring seal, maybe lower oil consumption. But, has anybody ever done it? What about all the racing Alpines, factory performance programs? Seems like there is free HorsePower hidden there...

 

[sunalp]

Any good machine shop will use a torque plate to bore a block as wll as hone it. You can do it without
but it's better with one.

 

[Shannon Boal]

So, has anyone ever seen an Alpine torque plate?

 

[Barry]

Any good machine shop will use a torque plate to bore a block as wll as hone it. You can do it without
but it's better with one.

It is certainly better to bore or hone cylinders using a torque plate than not. If you want to do it right, use the correct head gasket and the head bolts / washers that will be used for final assembly.

Torque plates are engine block specific and the chances of your local good machine shop having a torque plate for a 60 year old Rootes 4-banger laying around are slim and none. Figure on several hundred dollars for a custom made aluminum torque plate.

 

[Shannon Boal]

Aluminum.....OK, series V head is aluminum, good.....torque plate in that material will be easier to machine, lighter to ship, good.....I guess add whatever that cost is to the cost of engine overhaul. Odd that nobody has done this!