When putting a new ring and piston in an engine should the liner be replaced or is a light hone ok?

True honing of the sleeve is too much. If there is no visible damage to the cylinder liner a light touch with oil and 600 paper is all that is needed, and even there if it's a chromed liner don't touch it with anything except as needed to clean it.

Bill.

It is a steel liner.os1.08 Has no scratches. It is very shiney though. I have experance with full size car engines and know that you need to hone it to at least knock off the glaze so the new rings will seat.I did not know if plane engines needed it or not and at $70 bucks i was hoping to reuse the old liner. Thanks

Honing and breaking the glaze on the cylinder wall are not the same thing.

Honing is the final step in sizing a cylinder for piston fit, it actually removes a measurable amount of metal.

Breaking the glaze to assist the ring seating ideally removes no metal, calling this operation "Honing" is a misuse of the term, even though it's common.

No, don't replace the liner, or the piston either if the fit is still good.

Do not try to eliminate all the "Shiny" from the sleeve, just scuff it with some light oil on 600 paper wrapped around your finger. Having worked with auto engines you already know the crosshatched pattern you want.

I've re-ringed model engines both with and without breaking the glaze, I really have not seen any difference in the speed of the new ring seating. You do as you please, I've gotten away from it as even the lightest scuffing does remove metal,

Bill.

...Yank,

From my experience, when a good cross-hatch hone is in the cylinder, the break-in is the shortest.

However, the longest sleeve life is achieved with a light scuff only.

MVVS .12-.91 engines are prepared this way, on their chromium plated brass sleeve.