Front cylinder wall and head look visibly ok. I was hoping I didn't have to disturb the piston and cylinder....

 

I am a rookie at best but are not those walls scored?

 

The cylinder wall looks exactly as it did when I first assembled it. Hopefully someone can answer this, am I correct in saying that once I remove the cylinder from the piston I'll need to re-hone the cylinder and install new rings, correct?

 

Look good to me mike.

 

Yes bead brush and new rings plus you need to gap them. At least thats what i would do.

 

That's cylinder cross hatching you see.

 

That piston only has 700 miles on it? I'm a rookie also but it seems like a lot of carbon build up for only 700 miles.
You sure the timing isn't retarded too much and you are getting and engine knock (not pre-ignition ping) from a late spark.

Just a thought

Also someone awhile back posted they had some top end noise and it ended up being a valve guide but they didn't know it until they pulled the valve and the guide came out with it.

 

Before I lift the cylinder, I'm going to take the head down to my local indy shop tomorrow and have them inspect it. That is a lot of carbon for 700 miles and a bad guide would explain the noise and excessive carbon.

 

The carbon patch should be tan was the engine using oil or smoking out the exhaust from being too rich?

 

No excessive smoking or oil consumption...But I know this carbon is an indication of the problem. I can look down through the spark plug hole of the rear cylinder and not only does the top of the piston look clean, I can see sharpie marks I scribbled on the top of the piston for ring orientation......Humm