I was told by an "know it all" that an 8BA can be bored to 3 1/2 inches. In my opinion that would be drilling for water. Opinions?
NO! In several documented instances, folks have gotten away with 3 7/16" but 3 3/8" is normally considered a safe maximum. My 3 3/8" needed bored to clean up scores from broken rings. We went .030 more and struck water in two cylinders.
I'm reading what Dale mentioned above that most builders recommend 3-3/8 as max safe bore. One builder says 3-5/16 max without a sonic check.
The Jalopy Journal
