In the past I have searched the topic of sleeving all eight cylinders in an engine block. As usual, the results were all over the board from, no problem I do it all the time, to no way it will never work, and everywhere in between. So I decided to try it for myself. I started with a rusty .060 440 block that was on its way to the scraper. After carefully thinking the job through in my mine I proceeded to sleeve the cylinders. Well today I dyno tested the completed engine, and so far so good. 480 HP at the wheels. No leaks, and no parts on the floor. I can not say how long the block will last. We will find out. With that said. I would not trust this job to just any shop. There is a process to this repair that my not be obvious to everyone.

I’m going to guess it’s best to do one at a time and although I have stayed at a Holiday Inn I’m not the sharpest pencil in the pencil holder

I know of many guys that do it.. there is
usually a reason to do it.. most have to use
a certain block

I have seen it done on a couple of numbers matching Ford Cleveland blocks. Bob Book had to do it with several of the R4 blocks he ran as well.

I would imagine it would be best to machine for and fit one or two sleeves at a time. Trying to do all of them or a bank of cylinders all at once, the block would move around too much.

Sleeve the entire block one sleeve at a time. When they are all replaced, then bore each to size.

what about putting it in a furnace and doing a heat treat/normalizing process after installing all the sleeves but befor machining??

I heard Dirt track guys run all cylinders sleeved. They are aways replacing sleeves because of the dirt getting into cylinders and damaging the cylinder walls. Not sure if this is true.

I have often wondered this. I have a 230 cold weather block that would need several sleeves if not all 8. I have kept it because of the rarity, but I have always been afraid to try.

What kind of interference fit do you go for?

For the average person paying to have this work done its not worth the money it would cost. move on to better pastures.

Thanks John, I know the price would be high, but what kind of power would a sleeved 230 block handle? Would it be better than a regular 230 block?

No matter what you do to a stock block it’s days are numbered if you crank up the horsepower. I watched Tom Hemphill try every trick in the book to try to get them to last for himself and customers. Tom ended up with a Chevy in his barracuda before he gave up Racing and the guys that wanted to run 8’s or low 9’s switched to aftermarket blocks. Money that has paid big dividends in the long run.

Thanks John, I appreciate your no-nonsense answers.

Lol is that what you call it. I just hate to see people waste money making our sport we love more expensive. I just got belittled over in the general section because I use Harbor Freight digital calipers and said I probably have 10 sets. This same guy gave up Racing many years ago because of expense and probably hasn’t raced since. Trust me I have good mics but they aren’t needed for measuring valve diameter and many other non technical jobs.

I've personally set more sleeves that I can count.

It's not tricky it's just sensible machine work. There is not need to stress relive anything or any of that. The press on a sleeve is about .001-.0015 and that's all they need if done correctly.

Leave a decent step for the sleeve to sit on, machine the decks and forget it.

Unless it's a special block it isn't worth it.

If you re trying to make power skip the production block work. By the time you do all the crap to them they ain't as strong as a good aftermarket block and youve pissed away a good bit of money.


I don't use digital calipers or micrometers. But I have 2 sets of pretty damn nice calipers and several sets of shop calipers that I use on the lathe and stuff like that. Those are my beaters. They can be dropped and then I kick them across the shop and throw them away.

The good measuring tools stay in the tool box until I need to do [censored] that needs to be under a couple thou.

I agree with John. You need shop beater tools or you just kill the good stuff banging it around.

I know a lot of NHRA class racers that have had all eight holes sleeved with ductile iron sleeves to make more power and to seal better
I agree on buying a better block on a all out drag race motor but when that is not a option you have to punt

There is an earlier thread on this subject in which Ray Barton gives the procedure they follow when they sleeve and entire block.

He has no problem doing this.

Good enough for him, good enough for me.

I have an R3 block that came with a bore too large for the class I wanted to run. It has eight sleeves and makes a little over 2HP per CI with no problems yet.

I have 4 or so Harbor Freight calipers for
everyday use(a few 6" and 1 12" calipers.. I
use the 12" ones for measuring push rod lengths)
then I have my nice stuff for engine work

i have a couple junk fowler dial calipers, one without a dial lens, i use for general dirty work, and scribing. [do NOT use calipers for scribing ! it screws up the tips !] they don't always repeat, or zero out, but are within .003-.005.
my good tools are in the box, protected, until precision work is called for. hobo freight calipers are fine for general dinking around.
john, if you are like me, you NEED a bunch of those things, because i forget where i lay them down. if you got a bunch, just get one of the others.

Exactly. When you have different work areas and jobs the price is right. I even have some at my head porting area that I have ground on so they fit in tight areas. These stay in this area because they are usually aluminum covered. Harbor Freight snap gauges also come in handy but please don’t tell anyone. Lol 😂