A Good Mild Acid Bath by a Professional Metal Stripper works wonders on clean and rust free. Especially on Flathead Ford Engine Blocks. 😊 Surgical Clean.
At Ford Motor Co., we hone then brush our cylinders TO THE PISTON SIZE. That's why our 'break-in' is practically non-existent. So, pistons need to be ordered first, then the new bores need to match with proper piston-to-cylinder clearance. We also use hypereutectic alloy pistons with moly rings which is mainly why our engines last 250,000 miles. A classic engine (like the Y), if 'brought back to 'original', will only last 80-100,000 miles. Today's methods and materials are far better even on a 'Y'. I highly recommend weight-matching your pistons and rods (on both ends), then both together before submitting a 'sample' to your crankshaft grinder. Throw in the flex plate and harmonic balancer and have them all balanced at once. BTW, be very aware, if your new, larger pistons weigh more than your originals, you may need more weight in your counterweights. They drill holes and weld-in Mallory metal, which isn't cheap. My crankshaft balance cost a hundred bucks more with Mallory metal but it needed to be done. My 292 is smooth as silk now.
In the normal world vintage blocks are rough bored first to see where the ring wear and any water damage that has occurred do to improper storage. Rust takes 90% of engine blocks from useable to scrap. Pistons are ordered and then the block will be honed to fit the pistons. Rings have to mate to the piston as well as the bore. So they will keep getting better seal as they break in no matter who builds them
Awesome guys should all watch even if is not a Y-block!!! Thank you i would add ultra sonic cylinder wall testing for all cast iron blocks period! MC 12.02.2022
@HowardJrFord that is my point especially if you are using the 368 Cid 57 Lincoln/mercury version. Most people don't know that the 368 was an option for the mercury in 57
