Borescope of chrome cylinders advice?

[moto]

Doing a borescope examination of a small cylinder (~ 3" bore) is proving challenging. Using one of the countless available borescopes with a ring of LEDs around the lens is only producing blurred images of the LEDs in the mirror-like chrome. It looks like the Close Encounters spaceship landing in a light fog. Yet there are discussions of how to interpret borescope images of chrome bores online, particularly in the aircraft context.

Any practical advice on getting images of the surface of small chrome plated cylinders? Is another lighting arrangement better? Affordable?

This is not to say that I am considering buying a chrome-bored engine. I know more than enough about the risks and folly of that, so I ask that further elaboration of those be skipped this one time.

Thanks.

[guzzisteve]

Maybe a way to vary or turn light down in volume, don't know if they have a way to do that.

[AJ Huff]

What if you ran a light behind the borescope? Something like this? Not sure if you have enough room.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/STEELMAN-96285-24-Inch-LED-Pro-Aluminum-Bend-A-Light/39586886?classType=REGULAR&from=/search

-AJ

[Dukedesmo]

Quote from: guzzisteve on Today at 04:53:34 PM

Maybe a way to vary or turn light down in volume, don't know if they have a way to do that.

___________________ ___________________ ____________

I have an old borescope, connects to PC by USB and it has a dimmer/dial for the light which works quite well.

The camera quality is not that great though but there should be better available by now.

Alternatively, and it it's the likely outcome anyway, take the heads off for a proper inspection.

[moto]

The photo is with the brightness turned down. There is a texture apparent between the bright lights. Is this the bumpy surface of healthy industrial chrome? Or something else?

[guzzisteve]

Looks more like a yellowish color, maybe no chrome, worn thin. Not really a good closeup. Keep working w/it is what I'd do to get a good angle.

[moto]

Looks more like a yellowish color, maybe no chrome, worn thin. Not really a good closeup. Keep working w/it is what I'd do to get a good angle.

My understanding is that there is no brass/nickel base plating for this type of industrial chrome plating, so probably not yellow brass showing through.

[Tkelly]

Are you sure you will know what good or marginal chrome will look like when you see it?

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Two stroke? Some older Lawn-Boys had chrome plated bores, and those rarely fail due to the oil in the fuel.

[moto]

Are you sure you will know what good or marginal chrome will look like when you see it?

I'm looking only for flaked-off spots, so my concern is whether that burbly-looking stuff is really the surface instead of a camera artifact. Anyone have opinions on that?

[aklawok]

 Test your camera in a dark room with some magazine print, preferably not white and see if it is blurry.

[Gliderjohn]

I am a piss poor wrench but it is quite easy to pull a head and look first hand IMHO.
GliderJohn