Input on sleaving a block

[bmodracer]

355 SBC 9.0-1 350hp 6800-7000rpm
Camshaft broke and dropped a valve. Cylinder has 2 cracks. I can have it sleaved for less than 1/2 the price of machining a new block. My machine shop says they have never had any problems with any of the sleaves they have put in.

Its a good high nickle block that I have had alot of work done to. I hate to scrap it.

Anybody have any thoughts about this?

Thanks!!!!

[joeltjen]

definitly go for it! i run a 394 on alky with 15:1 comp(400 block) and i've got over 40 nights on it with no problems. biggest thing with a sleeved block is dont get them hot and keep going, if its getting hot shut it dowm.

[Graff Spee]

Mite want to run stop leak in the cooling system too. Just in case! I hate to say that but you should.

[parrot69777]

Really hard to say without seeing it. One crack might be ok but two can sometimes cause problems. Kind of hard to explain but cracks can keep going even after it's sleeved. A sleeve is intended to be pressed against the original cylinder but with two cracks...it can develop a gap between the two if the cylinder distorts...now you have a section of the sleeve that is distorting as well and the rings won't seal.

[stock car driver]

I toss blocks like that, I dont care if they are one night old and have a issue, its not worth the hassle or risk.

[rubbinsracin]

when i ran 9-1 hobby stocks, we got a sleeved block from a guy one time for free so i put it together with decent parts i had around from the winter when "i was going to build a backup motor". well we had our main engine start to let go after almost 3 full years so we put the sleeved one in it and ran 3 weeks with it before the end of the year. it always smoked just a little bit but it seemed ok until the last night when was on the track it was about 210* and when i slowed down it went right to 240 and wouldnt cool down when i came off. spraying the radiator with a hose, was sucking and spitting water back and forth into the overflow can. after about 10 minutes poof ball of smoke. sleeve failed.

[bmodracer]

So what you are saying, it could go either way. Maybe I'll get some b-day money tomorrow to cover the extra expense on machining the new block. This is gonna be my main motor and want it to last. It does have 2 cracks that are only a couple inches apart from each other. I could see the sleave wanting to distort between them eventually and I have been up to 220deg on a couple occasions this year.

Thanks guys!!

[Egoracing]

We ran one bowtie block that had 4 sleeves in it an it was at 415ci with 18 degree heads on asphalt and never had an issue with 7500-8000 at 700hp. The block someone brought to us to put together for him for a street stock let got he first night and we found the sleeve was .08 below the deck all the way around the cylinder. If it is done right it will last (every aluminum block out there is sleeved), if it is done badly it will fail just like any engine machining.

[DCM_Doc]

I have never had a problem with a correctly machined & sleeved block. Where the cracks are might make a difference but a reliable machinist did mine & there was not a problem. The sleeve was a fraction of the cost of another block & machine work.

[dirty white boy]

90 percent of all diesel motors run sleves,..all aluminum ones to,...if done right it be fine,..like any thing else,..its all in the details!!

[CNC BLOCKS]

90 percent of all diesel motors run sleves,..all aluminum ones to,...if done right it be fine,..like any thing else,..its all in the details!!

I think you will find most desiels run liners and not sleeves the liners thay run are flanged at the top and most have o-rings to seal from water.

[CNC BLOCKS]

Really hard to say without seeing it. One crack might be ok but two can sometimes cause problems. Kind of hard to explain but cracks can keep going even after it's sleeved. A sleeve is intended to be pressed against the original cylinder but with two cracks...it can develop a gap between the two if the cylinder distorts...now you have a section of the sleeve that is distorting as well and the rings won't seal.

I have not seen an OEM block that was sleeved yet and not distort the cylinder or cylinders next to the sleeve.

I have also seen cracks develop right back through the sleeve from the original crack.

[500BOMBER]

Hell, just about every block I own has at least 1 sleeve in it. Got a damm good machinist. Never had any failures due to a sleeve yet.......knock on wood!

[Egoracing]

I have not seen an OEM block that was sleeved yet and not distort the cylinder or cylinders next to the sleeve.

Once you get it sleeved it will need to be honed again to get the cylinders round.