Choosing a dial bore gauge

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ZachBecken

ZachBecken

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I’m looking to buy a dial bore gauge for rebuilding engines. It won’t be used everyday, but I do plan on using it multiple times in the near future. What brand should I go for? What quality level would be acceptable? Is it a bad idea to buy a cheaper model and replace the indicator with a quality one? Any help would be appreciated
 
Look around for used ones. Starrett, Brown and Sharpe, and Mitutoyo are all good brands. I used to sell Central and Fowler. Both are cheaper to buy and not bad for the price. I would stay away from the Harbor Freight brands.
 
I'll add Standard Gages. Be aware that the real good ones are for certain ranges, so make sure you get one in the range you need. You can find them used on eBay. Stay away from very worn ones as some of these have been used for decades.
 
toolmanmike said:
Look around for used ones. Starrett, Brown and Sharpe, and Mitutoyo are all good brands. I used to sell Central and Fowler. Both are cheaper to buy and not bad for the price. I would stay away from the Harbor Freight brands.
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Is it a bad idea to get a Starrett or mitutoyo brand dial and swap it on a cheaper tool like the Fowler or should I just keep a look out for a good used piece?
 
ZachBecken said:
Is it a bad idea to get a Starrett or mitutoyo brand dial and swap it on a cheaper tool like the Fowler or should I just keep a look out for a good used piece?
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The magnetic bases are usually good between the better manufacturers. I have seen some cheap junk at the Harbor Freight store. It's best to get something better even if you don't use it that much.
 
ZachBecken said:
Is it a bad idea to get a Starrett or mitutoyo brand dial and swap it on a cheaper tool like the Fowler or should I just keep a look out for a good used piece?
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I'd buy good used measuring equipment before I'd buy cheap. A good Dial bore gauge is accurate to .0001 of an inch in temperature and humidity controlled environment. You also need to know what you are doing. A cheap one is accurate to .001 of an inch at best, and I doubt they are that close. A lot of critical clearances/dimensions/tolerances are in the .0005 range.
 
I have a brand new Mitutoyo dial bore gauge I’d like to sell. I bought it new and I don’t think it’s been out of the box. I’ll post up photos tonight.
 
ZachBecken said:
I’m looking to buy a dial bore gauge for rebuilding engines. It won’t be used everyday, but I do plan on using it multiple times in the near future. What brand should I go for? What quality level would be acceptable? Is it a bad idea to buy a cheaper model and replace the indicator with a quality one? Any help would be appreciated
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Oops, sorry, I saw dial indicator and not a dial bore gauge. You will need a good micrometer to set it up and if you use it for bores you may need a 3-4" and a 4-5". If you are just measuring bores to check for taper and don't have to be super accurate you can use a dial indicator to set it up. If you are measuring main cap bores you need to be quite accurate and would need a micrometer. For fairly close measurements you can use snap gauges.
 
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Here’s the Mitutoyo we bought for one job and never used.
 
The ring gauges are a big plus. Zeroing those with a micrometer or dial caliper is dicey at best.
 
I have a Fowler and no complaints. Starrett, Mitutoyo and the other top shelf name brands are great, but you are paying a bit for the name. Asian imports are a case where you get what you pay for. The cheapest stuff is just that, cheap. I have plenty of imported tools that do just fine. Generally had good results with Shars Home page
 
I just bought a Shars dial bore gauge and micrometer to check main bearing oil clearances before I assemble my 440.I'll let you know how it all works out.
 
What did you end up buying? Im looking at buying one, Fowler seems like the best bang for the buck. I was wondering if i can check valve spring height, piston to valve clearance, set up a ring gear and dial in a cam with just a good gauge and base?
 
Mopar44134 said:
What did you end up buying? Im looking at buying one, Fowler seems like the best bang for the buck. I was wondering if i can check valve spring height, piston to valve clearance, set up a ring gear and dial in a cam with just a good gauge and base?
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You really need a dial bore gauge up to the largest bore size for mains, rods, bearings and cylinders. Micrometers for all the same, a mag base/dial indicator setup and a valve spring height mic to cover all the tasks you’ve listed.
 
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