I have used a boiling tank made of a 55 gallon drum split lengthwise, filled with water and 2-3 cans of lye, plus half a box of Tide. Build a fire around the drum and have a weenie roast while the block, head, and other cast iron and sheet metal parts boil clean. Don't put any aluminum in there- - - -the lye will eat it!
Be sure to measure the cylinder taper before deciding if the block is a candidate for a re-ring job instead of a rebore. If there's over .005" of taper you're going to have a very short life ring job. In the tutorial on John's 261 there's a section on measuring taper with a used piston ring and a feeler gauge. A re-ring requires the use of a glaze breaker, which is different than a rigid hone. After any glaze breaking or honing operation use a stiff bristle brush and lots of hot soapy water followed by a rinse with clean hot water to flush all the abrasive residue out of the cylinders. I completely wore out a set of piston rings in one trip from California to Tennessee (2500 miles) after failing to get the cylinders clean enough after an in the frame ring and rod bearing job on a flathead Rambler American engine. By the end of the trip the engine was using 3 quarts of oil to a tank of gas, with no external leaks!
Jerry
