Sleeving a cylinder?

[jared stewart]

I have access to a good block that is still standard but has a crack in one cylinder. Somebody suggested boring it out and putting a sleeve in to get it back to standard (Keep from having to buy new set of pistons) I know there's sleeves in diesel motors but had never heard of it in gas ones. Has anybody ever had this done and if so was it successful?

[TIMSPEED]

Originally posted by jared stewart
I have access to a good block that is still standard but has a crack in one cylinder. Somebody suggested boring it out and putting a sleeve in to get it back to standard (Keep from having to buy new set of pistons) I know there's sleeves in diesel motors but had never heard of it in gas ones. Has anybody ever had this done and if so was it successful?

Yep, that sounds about right. A friend has sleeves in his 455 Buick Big Block, and has had no problems with them for 5 years now.

[ocbaud]

LS1 engines use sleeves

[gldevall]

How bad is the crack? I know they do this for overboring of the cylinder, but not sure if its cracked.

[NeCrOmAnCeR]

If done by a good machine shop, you will have no problems with sleeves. But you may be able to get another block for less than the cost of a sleeve.

[Mike76251]

Sleeves are a no-no in my book but you might be okay if the block is stepped-bored for them.

[TwinTurbo]

Originally posted by ocbaud
LS1 engines use sleeves

all aluminium engines have sleeves.

The only reason I would ever run a sleeve in a cast iron block is if the engine was a numbers matching engine for a valuable car, needing a new overbore but the walls ar already too thin, that could not be fixed any other way, so the engine would contribute to the value for a large part. In any other case, junk the engine or use it for a mockup block on a future project/ make a coffee table out of it.

Sleeves are fine when done correctly (stepped bore) but I wouldn't do it, especially in a cracked block. the cost of sleeving the engine will most likely be very close to what a reasonable 350 core will cost.

[Mike76251]

Not all Aluminum engines have sleeves.
One manufacturer used high-silicone AL in it's blocks so it wouldn't have to use sleeves. GM wouldn't do this cause it cost a few extra dollars.
These engines go for 200K miles easy.....
A 32 valve V8 known as a Porsche 928 engine.

[TwinTurbo]

Yeah, okay. It was a generalisation. The twin cam vega engine has hi silicone bores too as do many other blocks with free standing (fully wetted) cylinders (asian cars) but almost all domestic aluminium engines do have sleeves

[Mike76251]

Vega had 'em?!?
I didn't know that!
Well..........maybe I was being too harsh on GM there.........then again maybe not- I seem to remember alot of problems with those cylinders in the Vega. Don't recall what the problem was but my guess would be GM couldn't get the Silicone to mix right.
It is not easy to do afterall.

Oh yeah.........if you had a numbers matching block..........say in a 1969 ZL1 Camaro or the like.........sleeves might be okay.

[TwinTurbo]

Hate to say it but USA castings have always been a much poorer quality than the german and asian stuff. US seems to prefer sand casting whereas germans and japanese use a sort of soap like stuff as casting molds. Also the quality of the pour is much better.

I have a German ZF transmission with a GM (ALCOA) tailpiece. The tailpiece is much darker aluminiu, the difference in color is due to contaminations.

The 928 engine is nice but the injection system (Bosch) is a nightmare if you don't knwo what you're doing (I'm not fond of any of those jetronic systems or systems derived from it)

Yes, the vega cosworth twin cam had the hi-silicone al. engine. So, it's not really a GM product but more a british cosworth.

[Mike76251]

You have ZF??? cooool!
I love the power some of them will handle!!

I cannot say anything bad about the 928 engine...........but I do remember the size of the computer in my old 928S...........man if you ever had to dig into that thing!!!!! I shudder at the thought!!!!

[Mike76251]

The british designed the Vega engine????????????no wonder it was a piece of crap!!!!!
Just add Lucas electrics to your ride and you will see from where I speak.

[TwinTurbo]

I have a ZF in my corvette, not in the truck

Actually, the brits make nice castings, jsut sometimes thay have a bit of a f- up.

The prince of darkness LOL... gotta love that, especially on your $$$$ bentley or rolls.

[Mike76251]

A BIT of a f-up????
You are a kinder sole than I!
Ever change a starter on a XKE with the V12??? You gotta take the whole front end off!
Ever put the top up in a Austin Healey on a rainy day..........what's the point???
How to tell if you are in a british car.............put the top up and if it is raining as much on the inside as it is on the outside than you know it is a british car.

[TwinTurbo]

I refuse to work on those tommy cars, a buddy of mine had triumph spitfire, what a heap of junk. Rust everywhere, all the wiring is the other way around (+ and - and if you consider the laws of the electron they actually have it right with - being the power side and + the ground)
Then the engine, what a heap o junk and the same for the tranny. That thing ate synchros faster than I could sip my beer :-)

Don't even start on the top, his top fit so well it punched through his new seat covers the first time he put it up.

[TwinTurbo]

OH BTW, somewhere in the early 70s chevy did make non linered aluminium big block. They were for use wiht iron coated pistons, they were 427 L88 blocks and the .030 and .060 oversizes