If you plan on replacing the rings, you MUST de-glaze the cylinder walls. If you dont, the rings will not seat. It is very easy to do it yourself if you are mechanically inclined. You have to form a good crosshatch during the de-glazing, which is easy after you get the hang of it. I prefer the honing stone's over the ball hone, but the ball hone is easier to use. Ive de-glazed many engines in the past using honing stones and a mix of 50/50 motor oil and kerosene to lubricate the stones. You will want to make or purchase a device to limit the drill motor speed while doing this, and you will want a helper to spray the **** into the cylinder during honing. If you want to venture into doing this, PM me and Ill give you all the info you will need. You can re-use your pistons as long as they are in good shape, but they must go back into the same cylinder they came out of. You also need to use a certain stone for a certain hatch depth depending on your rings you buy (moly vs. standard).
Like mentioned above, if your cylinders are severly worn, you may waste your time doing this. I only do this on blocks where the tolerances are still within spec AFTER I hone the cylinders. So if your cylinders are already at or past the spec limits, you may want to take a different route, but it still can be done. There is always a right and wrong to engine rebuilding, but sometimes the money makes the decision for some folks. You can take alternative routes with great success, although they arent considered the correct route. If you cant afford to do it one way, you just cant afford to do it.
Proper machining is the most important thing over looked when folks do engine rebuilds, but it can get very expensive when done correctly. There are also alot of shops that are incorrectly machining blocks, but its hard to know which ones unless you yourself are know alot about it.
Yada...Yada...Yada, I guess Im rambling on.
