do you always use honing plates while honing? or is it just for hi performance applications?

Always use honing plates... The reason for the plates is the bolts tend to distort the top of the cylinder area... if the cylinders are finished without torque plates to distort the cylinder top during finishing ... then when you torque the heads on... there are distinct "high spots" around the top rim of the cylinder... Right where the top piston ring needs to seal.. so there is a loss of compression .. right where you need it most... Having your cylinders finished with torque plates installed isn't that much more money... but worth it.

Depends on the person that I am buildingthe motor for . They usally will let me get it done if they want a better ring seal. It not that much more $


Rob

ok my problem is; they do not use it here in turkey, but i use them.
now i am building a very serious engine with lots of turbo boost.
today i left the parts to engine machining shop and turned back home,when i opened the rear of my car i saw the plate there, i called the shop and told them they forgot to take the plate but he said he already done overboring and honed...
piston to wall measure ,i told him is very close to max, which means i ahve very very small tolerance there.

now i am thinking : when i arrive there tomorrow morning and install the plate ; can i save the block or machining without that plate makes so much difference ? do i have to forget about the current block

this is a very special block,its told that liner can not be installed ..... aluminum 5cyl engine

any comment?

Honing torque plates are most beneficial when the cylinders are a cast part of the block.. such as BBC's and SBC's .On engines that have "wet liners" , where the block is alloy and the liners are steel... then they aren't as beneficial. What kind of engine are you working on?

audi 5 cylinder 20 valve engine
factory specs : 315 hp 20psi boost
aluminum block and heads,dohc

my expectation : 600+ hp >30 psi boost

hp and boost levels look like 'not true' right?

It depends on the quality of weed you have been smoking..... . If you are concerned... you can always install the torque plates... measure the bores and see if there is any distortion... I have a bore gauge that measures in .0001 of an inch. That is 1/10th of one thousandth. You can install the torque plate and have the shop stroke the bores with their finishing hones. The distortion from having and not having the torque plates is less than .0005. Again... It is only of importance if the bolt holes in the block distort the cylinder itself. Since the Engine you are building has liners... it probably won't make any difference.

LOL;
i stopped smoking weed long time ago but you know my dyno has some serious problems with coc.

thnx for plate help;

* this results do not belong to my car, i am still building mine, these are results from same engine,same configuration