Ok, working on a buddy's 91 XJ, blown head gasket, water journals are extremely plugged due to corrosion. Otherwise the barrels look good, but then I saw this:

http://imageshack.us/f/861/1000347q.jpg/

http://imageshack.us/f/716/1000346tt.jpg/

number 6 is oil fouled, and has what appears to be damage on the piston crown? The cylinder wall looks terrible, but its smooth when I fun my finger over it.
It was tic-tic -tic ing when he drove it up, but I thought that it could just be rocker noise.
So, ideas? He does not have the money for a rebuild, and my advice was to clean it up and run it ti'll he can get another XJ seeing as machining costs would be more than its worth.
But I would like a second opinion.
Thanks!

 

bottle hone new rings and go. get the plain old cast iron rings nothing fancy

 

Bam! that's what I like hear. He will be happy too.
Thanks.

 

may want to run a ridge reamer too... how many miles are on this block?

 

239.990
What size flex hone? and do I need to worry about the other cylinders, or just the troubled one? I was going to have him replace the timing chain/gears while we are at it. Oh and do we need to get the head milled?

 

you may want to do them all (but at least do the bad one) I've got 425,000 on mine and the #1 is loose due to have driven on a cracked head so the rings have room to grow, not sure on bottle size check with a machine shop, may want to go with over sized rings, mic the cylinders for size. as long as it never got WAY HOT the deck should be ok but at least surface the head.