Its time for a long overdue update!
First off, thanks Neil for your statement "good luck with the glue".
That really hit home - so glad to say that "Mickey Mouse" idea has left the building:laugh:
I've always had the mindset that if you put your mind to it, something can always be done to solve a problem. A never give up attitude, as more often than not something positive will come from it - call it brainstorming 101.
Desperately wanting to improve on my first idea, I spent a good day on the internet to gain some needed knowledge.
My initial goal was to confirm what material this engine block is made of and go from there.
I was originally told by other resources that the cylinders were coated with a silica material and was very thin (much like Nikasil plating). A scored cylinder that was deep enough to catch your finger nail was deemed not repairable turning a very expensive engine block into a boat anchor :frown:
Well the good news is the block is made out of Alusil which consists of 70% aluminum and 30% silicone. This means that the cylinders are not coated which opens up some potential repair options:grin:
This material make up requires a chemical etching (factory process) to remove some aluminum away from the silicone particles which allows two important functions - the raised silicone particles are very hard which creates a durable surface as well as pockets which trap the oil for lubricating the rings much like the cross hatching works on a normal cylinder wall.
Fortunately there is a company that has perfected the etching process using a honing process rather than a chemical etching process which supposedly can be difficult to control.
If anyone has further interest on the particulars of the above I will add a couple links which may help you out as it has me.
Honing Options for Hypereutectic Aluminum Cylinder Bores - Sunnen
https://goodson.com/products/an-30-silicon-compound
Stepping back, I should mention that the engine I purchased awhile back did not work out as the engine had issues which did not show up till after the engine was removed from the vehicle.
This was another motivation to see if I could repair my existing block. The idea being I would still be actively looking for another donor engine just in case my repairs did not work out as planned.
Due to the severity of the score on my cylinder I did not want to fork out too much cash to get my block done professionally so decided to do all the cylinder honing myself.
I contacted the flex hone company and explained to them the type of material I would be working with and they suggested what I should use for grit and hone material to accomplish this job.
Fast forward a few weeks and I have a cylinder that looks comparable to the other 5 less one slight score still visible on the damaged cylinder.
I have gone through a thorough cleaning of the block which is now ready to assemble.
I have ordered the required gaskets and one set of rings which will be going on the used piston I purchased on ebay.
Will post back - hopefully some positive results:wink:
Cheers